Karnataka’s deputy chief minister and Congress state unit president DK Shivakumar, who sparked a controversy after singing two lines of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) anthem in the assembly last week, said on Tuesday that he only meant to “pull the BJP’s leg” as he apologised “if anyone, including colleagues in the Congress or the INDIA bloc, was hurt”.
Stressing that no party leader had asked him to apologise, Shivakumar reiterated his loyalty to Congress. He told reporters in Bengaluru, “I have been with the Congress since 1980. My loyalty to the party and the Gandhi family cannot be questioned. I was born a Congressman and will die a Congressman...If anyone is hurt, including colleagues in the Congress or the INDIA bloc, I am sorry. It was not my intention to praise the RSS.”
Shivakumar sang a part of RSS anthem “Namaste Sada Vatsale Maatrubhoome” during a debate on August 21in the assembly on the June 4 stampede at M Chinnaswamy stadium during the celebrations of RCB’s first IPL win. Some leaders within his party and the Opposition alleged it was an evidence of mixed loyalties.
Shivakumar recalled his time in Tihar jail in connection with an Enforcement Directorate investigation and said, “If anyone wants to know my history, to know my commitment, my ideology and they wanted to do politics with it, it is left to them. I don’t want to comment,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Shivakumar recalled his time in Tihar jail in connection with an Enforcement Directorate investigation and said, “If anyone wants to know my history, to know my commitment, my ideology and they wanted to do politics with it, it is left to them. I don’t want to comment,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“But if anyone is hurt, some of my party colleagues were commenting on that, I have a lot of followers… if anyone hurt anyone, I don’t want to hurt their feelings, I feel sorry for them. I would like to apologise to them,” he said.
Senior Congress leader and MLC BK Hariprasad demanded for Shivakumar to take responsibility, noting his position as state party president. “Neither I nor Shivakumar built the Congress. The party was nurtured by Mahatma Gandhi and the tricolour. We do not need the prayer song of those who opposed both. As deputy chief minister, he may say it, but not as president of the Congress,” Hariprasad said.
Former minister KN Rajanna also questioned Shivakumar’s recent political choices, including his appearance alongside Union home minister Amit Shah at an Isha Foundation event in Tamil Nadu.
Opposition parties’ backlash to the apology was swift. Calling the apology “unfortunate”, BJP general secretary V Sunil Kumar said, “He uttered only two lines and the Congress went into panic. Imagine if he had sung the whole prayer.” He argued that the RSS prayer “preaches patriotism” and accused Shivakumar of “setting aside patriotism just to earn the love of the Gandhi family.”
Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka, suggesting resignation as the only honourable option, said, “If Namaste Sada Vatsale Maatrubhoome requires an apology, then who exactly does the Congress expect Indians to hail? Mother Italy? Or the Madam who came from Italy?”
The JD(S), former partner of Congress and present BJP ally, branded Shivakumar as “a tiger in the Assembly and a mouse before the high command” in a statement released on Tuesday.