A video of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar singing the RSS anthem has gone viral. The incident occurred during a discussion on the Channaswamy Stadium stampede. During a discussion about his political career, the Leader of the Opposition, R. Ashok, referenced Shivakumar’s earlier associations with the RSS. In response, the Deputy Chief Minister began singing the RSS anthem, ‘Namaste Sada Vatsale,’ leading to a heated exchange in the assembly.
The BJP criticized the move, with National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari stating on X, ‘Namaste Sada Vatsale Matribhume, DK Shivakumar was seen singing the RSS anthem in the Karnataka Assembly yesterday. Close associates of Rahul Gandhi and the Gandhi Vadra family are now directly in ICU/Coma mode.’ The remarks also referenced the Congress’s criticism of the RSS in the Prime Minister’s Independence Day speech, and suggested internal divisions within the party.