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 has triggered a political storm. What seemed like a symbolic gesture has instead created internal friction within the ruling Congress and handed ammunition to the opposition BJP. Senior leaders from the Congress, including B.K. Hariprasad, have openly demanded an apology, while BJP leaders see it as a sign of changing sympathies.
Hariprasad’s Strong Objection
Senior Congress leader and MLC B.K. Hariprasad expressed sharp disapproval, insisting that Shivakumar apologise for his act. Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Hariprasad remarked that while there would have been no issue had Shivakumar sung the RSS anthem purely in his capacity as Deputy Chief Minister, the fact that he did so as State Congress President was “completely inappropriate.”
“The BJP will naturally welcome such developments. The RSS has been banned three times in this country. As a Congress President, Shivakumar cannot recite the anthem of an organisation accused of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. For that, he must apologise,” Hariprasad said.
He went on to question Shivakumar’s intentions, stating that such an act could send confusing signals to the people. “Shivakumar is a farmer, businessman, and politician he wears many hats. But by singing the anthem of an organisation that killed Mahatma Gandhi, the message could reach anyone in a wrong way,” he warned.
Cracks Within Congress
The episode has highlighted deepening rifts within Karnataka Congress. Former Minister and Congress MLA K.N. Rajanna, recently removed from his position, accused the party of applying “different rules” to Shivakumar.
“He can sing the RSS anthem, attend events with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and even participate in religious gatherings like the Maha Kumbh Mela, even if it contradicts the party’s interests. But others in the party would be pulled up for less,” Rajanna alleged.
The remarks reflect growing resentment within a section of the party that feels Shivakumar is given preferential treatment, despite holding dual roles that sometimes blur the line between personal choices and party responsibilities.
Support From Loyalists
Not all voices within Congress were critical. H.D. Ranganath, a close aide of Shivakumar and Congress MLA, defended the Deputy CM’s act. He downplayed the controversy, calling it a “closed chapter.”
“After Shivakumar sang the anthem in the Assembly session, I checked its meaning. It simply salutes the land that gave us birth. There is nothing objectionable in that. Our party remains secular, but good things must be recognised wherever they are found. The ideologies of the Congress and RSS will never align, but appreciating a song is not betrayal,” Ranganath argued.
His statement underscores the divide in how Congress leaders are interpreting Shivakumar’s action either as a breach of ideological line or as a harmless personal expression.
BJP Seizes the Opportunity
The BJP, meanwhile, wasted no time in capitalising on the controversy. Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, described Shivakumar’s action as proof of “affection, sympathy, and a change of heart” towards the RSS.
Narayanaswamy mocked the Congress for its double standards: “Some say they should not even feel the air of the Sangh. But the Sangh is everywhere — across the nation. If you want to avoid its presence, you’ll have to leave the country. You call others ‘Manuvadis,’ yet your own leaders are now singing the RSS anthem. Can you stop Shivakumar or Ranganath from doing so?”
Taking a dig at Congress, he added that speaking against the RSS was nothing more than “cheap propaganda and tongue-wagging for publicity.”
A Test of Leadership
The controversy over the RSS anthem has not only handed a political weapon to the BJP but also exposed fault lines within Karnataka Congress. Shivakumar’s action, viewed by some as harmless and by others as ideologically dangerous, has sparked a debate about the boundaries between personal gestures and party positions.
Whether Shivakumar apologises or stands firm will determine not just his standing within the party but also the message Congress sends to its supporters. For now, the issue has unsettled the party’s image, highlighting the delicate balance between secular positioning and political pragmatism in a state where both ideology and optics matter deeply.