BJP Criticizes D.K. Shivakumar for Apologizing Instead of Quitting Congress

Swift Summary

• Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, D.K. Shivakumar, apologised in the Legislative Assembly for singing a stanza from the RSS anthem.
• The Opposition BJP ridiculed Mr. Shivakumar’s apology, urging him to either avoid apologising or resign from Congress if he had “self-respect adn courage.”
• Leader of Opposition R. Ashok criticised Mr. Shivakumar’s apology on social media, defending the content of the RSS anthem as showing respect to Mother India and questioning whether such salutations are wrong.
• Ashok accused Congress of tolerating pro-Pakistan slogans in Vidhana Soudha while treating respect for Mother India as criminal behavior, terming it an “anti-national mindset.”
• He asked Mr. Shivakumar to clarify who instructed him to apologise, naming Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi among others.
• BJP leader V. Sunil Kumar accused Shivakumar of prioritising loyalty to the Gandhi family over patriotism.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The controversy highlights tensions between ideological viewpoints in indian politics over what constitutes patriotism and political allegiance. While BJP leaders used this instance to criticise Congress leadership and question its stance on nationalism, D.K. Shivakumar’s apology likely stems from internal party dynamics aiming at avoiding ideological discord within Congress ranks.

This episode underscores how political symbolism tied to organisations like RSS is wielded by rivals as a tool for polarisation-reorienting debates from governance towards larger ideological questions about national identity or loyalty. Such exchanges may distract attention away from substantive policy discussions in Karnataka’s assembly and contribute toward sharpening partisan divides within state politics.

Read more: Published – August 26, 2025 09:50 pm IST