Shivakumar’s Anthem Move Splits Congress, Fuels BJP Fire

Paromita Das

New Delhi, 28th August: In Bharatiya politics, symbolism often carries more weight than words, and actions taken in seemingly casual moments can snowball into national controversies. The recent act of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President DK Shivakumar singing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) anthem inside the Assembly during the Monsoon session is one such moment. What could have been brushed aside as a spontaneous gesture has instead triggered a political storm—shaking his own party, energizing the opposition, and forcing uncomfortable questions about loyalty, ideology, and optics.

Hariprasad’s Sharp Rebuke

The first and fiercest attack came not from the BJP, but from within Congress itself. Senior leader B.K. Hariprasad lashed out, demanding that Shivakumar issue a public apology. His words were cutting: as Deputy Chief Minister, Shivakumar could perhaps have claimed personal freedom, but as State Congress President, he had no business singing the anthem of an organization historically accused of being linked to Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination.

Hariprasad’s criticism struck at the core of Congress’s ideological identity. The party, which has long projected itself as the guardian of secularism and a bulwark against the Hindutva agenda, now found its state chief blurring that ideological line. By associating—even symbolically—with the RSS, Shivakumar risked sending “confusing signals” to voters and party cadres alike.

Fractures Within the Congress Fold

The episode also revealed fissures within the Karnataka Congress. Former Minister K.N. Rajanna, recently sidelined in the party, accused the leadership of applying “different rules” to Shivakumar. According to Rajanna, other Congress leaders would be swiftly disciplined for similar acts, while Shivakumar—owing to his clout and dual roles—was allowed leeway.

Such resentment hints at deeper discontent simmering within the ranks. For many Congress members, Shivakumar embodies both strength and dominance, but also preferential treatment that undermines internal democracy. The anthem row, therefore, has become a lightning rod for these grievances.

Loyalists Rush to His Defense

Yet, Shivakumar did not stand alone. Loyalists like H.D. Ranganath, a Congress MLA, quickly dismissed the controversy. He argued that the anthem merely salutes the land of birth and carries no objectionable content. For him, the gesture was not ideological betrayal but a benign cultural expression.

This line of defense reflects a pragmatic camp within Congress: those who see no harm in occasional symbolic overlaps with the Sangh, provided they do not compromise the party’s secular positioning. Their argument is simple—politics should allow space for appreciation without being mistaken for alignment

BJP Smells Blood

If Congress found itself divided, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saw an opportunity. Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, mocked Congress for its “hypocrisy.” He claimed Shivakumar’s action reflected an “affection and change of heart” toward the RSS.

Narayanaswamy’s jibe cut to the bone: “Some Congress leaders boast of rejecting the Sangh entirely. But if Shivakumar and his allies themselves are singing its anthem, who are you really fooling?” For the BJP, the controversy serves two purposes—it validates the RSS’s cultural reach and simultaneously exposes Congress’s internal contradictions.

A Question of Leadership and Optics

At its core, the controversy is less about a song and more about leadership, perception, and ideological clarity. Shivakumar is not just another politician; he is both Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister and Congress’s state president. Every gesture he makes is, therefore, loaded with political meaning.

By choosing to sing the RSS anthem in a public, official setting, he inadvertently placed himself at the heart of a storm that forces Congress to answer uncomfortable questions: Can its leaders straddle ideological contradictions? Can symbolic acts be dismissed as harmless? Or do such actions dilute the party’s historic stance against Hindutva politics?

The Thin Line Between Symbolism and Strategy

In politics, symbols matter as much as strategies. Shivakumar may have intended no ideological shift, but his act carries the weight of history and context. For a party that has defined itself in opposition to the RSS, such gestures cannot be taken lightly.

At the same time, demanding an apology risks projecting Congress as insecure and divided—an image that benefits the BJP. The real challenge for Shivakumar lies in balancing personal gestures with his institutional responsibility as party president. For Congress, the task is even bigger: to show unity and reaffirm its ideological clarity at a time when voters are scrutinizing every word and action.

A Defining Moment for Congress in Karnataka

The RSS anthem row may appear trivial on the surface, but it has exposed the fragile equilibrium within Congress. Shivakumar’s act has simultaneously emboldened his critics, empowered his loyalists, and handed the BJP a ready-made talking point.

How Shivakumar and the Congress leadership handle the crisis will determine more than just his personal credibility. It will shape the party’s ideological narrative in Karnataka and beyond. In a state where politics often pivots on symbolism, this controversy is not just about a song—it is about the future direction of a party caught between secular ideals and pragmatic politics.