GG News Bureau
Bengaluru, 26th August- Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, the Congress party’s “trouble-shooter,” has found himself at the center of a political controversy after unwittingly warbling a few lines of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) anthem within the Legislative Assembly during the current monsoon session.
On 22 August 2025, when there was a fiery exchange of words on the stampede at the Bengaluru Chinnaswamy Stadium on 4 June during RCB’s IPL triumph party, the Opposition BJP was demanding explanations from the Congress government. In a shocking turn of events, Shivakumar suddenly mouthed a line of the RSS’s prayer “Namaste Sada Vatsale Matribhume”, saying it was just for the purpose of “pulling the BJP’s leg.”
But what he believed was a cheeky jibe at the BJP became a political scandal which rocked not only the Assembly but even the Congress party itself.
The Apology That Stunned Everyone
Under intense attack by both BJP and sections of his own party, Shivakumar was compelled to apologize publicly on August 26. Addressing journalists in Bengaluru, he stated:
If any member of Congress or INDI Alliance was injured, I regret it deep inside my heart. My allegiance to the Congress and Gandhi family is unquestioned. I was born a Congressman, and I will be a Congressman till my death.”
He went on to explain that his purpose was never to glorify or support the RSS. Rather, he blamed the BJP for distorting his actions for political gains.
Congress Infighting Erupts
Shivakumar’s clarification, though, did not soothe all frayed nerves. Senior Congress MLC B.K. Hariprasad baldly called for an apology, while former minister K.N. Rajanna attacked his “series of questionable moves,” including his recent appearance on stage with Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the Mahashivaratri celebration at the Isha Foundation in Coimbatore.
Party critics have rumoured that Shivakumar’s actions are blurring the ideological differences between the Congress and the BJP-RSS, which he stoutly refutes.
A Man Surrounded by Controversy
This is not the first instance of the Deputy CM being cornered. From having spent time in Tihar Jail for alleged money laundering, to a string of CBI and ED raids, Shivakumar has lived with the image of a fighter who works best under turmoil. He has repeatedly positioned himself as the man who can deliver Congress wins in Karnataka, but his critics point out his daring and mercurial approach can be counter-productive at times.
The Bigger Political Implications
For the BJP, this has been political gold, enabling it to raise questions about Congress’s “double standards” on ideology. For the Congress, it has opened up internal divisions at a time when it is more important than ever to be united against a resurgent BJP in Karnataka.
Shivakumar, however, is defiant but conciliatory. His apology has clearly pacified tempers for the time being, but the political firestorm he ignited by singing the RSS anthem within the Assembly is by no means over.
As politics in Karnataka gets more intense, one question remains: was this a mere innocuous “leg-pulling” attempt, or an expensive faux pas that would haunt Shivakumar in the fights to come ?
