Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday said he was ready to apologise if his remarks on reciting the RSS anthem in the Assembly hurt Congress leaders or the Opposition’s INDIA bloc allies.
Addressing reporters, DK Shivakumar clarified that his comments were made in jest to target the Bharatiya Janata Party, but some were misusing them for political gains. Shivakumar said he had no intention of hurting anyone’s sentiments and expressed regret if his remarks had offended colleagues.
“I just commented and tried to pull their (BJP) leg. Some of my friends are taking a political leap, trying to misuse it and cause confusion among the public… I don’t want to hurt their feelings. If anyone has been hurt, I feel sorry for them. I would like to seek an apology to all of them,” DK Shivakumar said.
“If you feel I have made a mistake, which I have not, I am still ready to apologise,” Shivakumar added.
Reiterating loyalty to the party, the senior Congress leader added, “The Gandhi family cannot be questioned by anyone. I am a born Congressman. I will die as a Congressman.”
Shivakumar also said he has “a lot of followers and friends across party lines” and did not want to cause offence.
“I am not bigger than anyone, my life is there to give strength to everyone. I have stood by everyone in their difficulty, still I stand by them,” he said.
What’s the RSS song controversy?
On August 21, Shivakumar recited a couple of lines of the RSS’s prayer “Namaste Sada Vatsale…” in the Assembly during a debate on the June 4 Chinnaswamy stadium stampede.
Senior Congress leader BK Hariprasad on Monday had wondered if Shivakumar was trying to “impress someone” by singing the RSS’s prayer inside the Assembly.
“We have no objection to Shivakumar reciting the prayer as the Deputy CM because a government belongs to all, including the RSS. If he said it as Congress president, he will have to apologise,” BK Hariprasad had said.
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