BENGALURU: K Govindaraju, a close aide of Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, has been relieved of his duties as political secretary with immediate effect, the state government said in a notification issued on Friday. The move comes on a day when Govindaraju was forced to publicly deny media reports suggesting he had advised the chief minister against holding a victory parade for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) players from the airport to Vidhana Soudha. Dismissing the reports as “baseless”, Govindaraju said, “My words were misinterpreted. Who am I to advise the chief minister on this matter?” He also distanced himself from the controversy, stating, “I would be the last person to advise anything on cricket, since I head the Karnataka Olympic Association.” His clarification came in the wake of sharp public criticism over the organisation of the IPL celebration event in Bengaluru, during which a stampede killed 11 people and injured dozens more. Govindaraju had held the post since the Congress government came to power in the state. The government did not cite a reason for his removal.