DKS colleagues join forces against him over his singing RSS’s anthem in House session

Bengaluru/Yadgir

The debate over Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s surprise chanting of RSS’s anthem on the floor of the Assembly in the recently concluded legislature session continues.

While K.N. Rajanna, former Minister, took exception to the public postures of the Deputy Chief Minister, Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi took a dig at Mr. Shivakumar.

Both leaders are known followers of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and after a lull, the shadow boxing between the two camps seems to have emerged again.

In another development, without referring to any individual, RDPR Minister Priyank Kharge termed the RSS not only dangerous to the Congress but also to the country. All these remarks came while Mr. Shivakumar is participating in the ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra’ led by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, in Bihar.

Rajanna’s jibe

On Sunday, Mr. Rajanna, who was sacked from the Ministry at the beginning of the legislature session over his statements that indirectly questioned Mr. Gandhi’s campaign on “vote theft”, took exception to Mr. Shivakumar’s action.

“They can do anything. He (Mr. Shivakumar) can share the stage with Amit Shah and Sadguru and he can chant the RSS anthem. He can accept the invitation and attend along with his family members the wedding in the family of Mukesh Ambani, an invitation that Rahul Gandhi thought twice whether to accept. People are watching.”

“On the other hand, we cannot convene a meeting of legislators or Ministers. We will speak when the time comes,” he said.

Jarkiholi’s response

In Yadgir, Mr. Jarkiholi sarcastically replied to scribes, saying that “if singing the RSS anthem is enough for one to become the Chief Minister, MLA Channareddy and I would have sung it too.” His response came to a question on Mr. Shivakumar singing ‘Namaste Sada Vatsale’ in the session.

Mr. Jarkiholi said that “he (Mr. Shivakumar) is well acquainted with Sanskrit language and sang it on that occasion.

Priyank targets RSS

Mr. Kharge took off against the RSS in a post on social media platform ‘X’ on Sunday saying, “Every patriot has to understand that the RSS, which did not accept the Constitution and burnt it, did not respect the national flag and women and considers the oppressed classes as third class citizens of the country, is not only dangerous to the Congress but a threat to the unity of the country.”

Neither the BJP nor the RSS can list 10 contributions to the country in 100 years, of existence of RSS, he added.

He said that if the country had to mature and flourish, every citizen had to take a oath that even the air that touched the RSS should not touch them.

“Congress always sees RSS, which covers itself with communal hatred, propagates Nazism, Manusmriti and varna based atrocities, as its enemy.”

He continued: “It is because RSS is an enemy of the constitution, unity of the nation, national flag and national anthem.”

Leaders like B.R. Ambedkar and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had warned against the RSS and their message had to be taken seriously, he added.

“Patel who had anticipated the dangers from the Sangh Parivar had imposed a ban on RSS then. However, after enacting a drama of pledging support to the Constitution and the national flag, the RSS continued its anti-Constitution stance,” he charged.