Did D.K. Shivakumar send a subtle message to Cong. high command by singing RSS anthem?

KPCC president and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who has pledged his loyalty to the Gandhi family, singing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) anthem “Namaste Sada Vatsale Matribhume” in the Legislative Assembly seems to be an attempt to send a subtle political message to both his own party as well the Opposition.

‘Born Congressman’

The next day after singing the anthem, the leader, widely known as a troubleshooter in the State Congress, affirmed his undying loyalty to the party. He declared that he was “born a Congressman and would die as a Congressman.”

With this, Mr. Shivakumar appears to have reminded the party high command about the so-called power-sharing agreement with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his desire to occupy the coveted post by the year-end, so as to get sufficient time to face the next Assembly elections. The issue, it is learnt, has taken a backseat under instructions from the party’s top brass.

Interestingly, Mr. Shivakumar during the reply on development of Bengaluru in the Assembly on Friday, also dropped Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name a couple of times. He had offered a Ganesha idol to Mr. Modi when the latter inaugurated the Yellow Line in the city on August 10.

Earlier, the KPCC chief had gone along with his wife to take a dip at Triveni Sangama during Kumbh Mela and later praised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for making “good arrangements.”

A softer stance

Unlike Mr. Siddaramaiah, Mr. Shivakumar has by and large not been a vociferous critic of Mr. Modi or his government. Also, unlike the former, AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who are clear in their ideological differences with the RSS and the BJP, Mr. Shivakumar appears to be peddling soft Hindutva of his own brand. In the Congress too, there are a few legislators who sympathise with the RSS, but refrain from airing their views in public, say party sources.

Amid the ongoing SIT investigation in Dharmasthala over alleged mass burials, the KPCC chief, who has often undertaken temple-runs, surprised everyone by saying that there was a “conspiracy to tarnish the image” of the temple town.

In March, Mr. Shivakumar also shared the stage with Union Home Minister Amit Shah during Mahashivaratri celebrations in Coimbatore organised by the Isha Foundation. Then some Congress leaders, including K.N. Rajanna, had questioned Mr. Shivakumar sharing the stage with those who have been critical of Mr. Gandhi.

Not always enemies

Though the Deputy Chief Minister might say that his singing of the RSS anthem has “no political meaning”, past history shows that the RSS and the Congress leaders are not always at loggerheads.

For instance, former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao was accused of going soft on the RSS. It was during his regime the Babri Masjid was demolished. Former President Pranab Mukherjee visited the RSS headquarters in 2018. In the same year, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said the BJP’s slogan “Congress-mukt Bharat” was a political slogan.

Even as Mr. Siddaramaiah announced that he would be the Chief Minister for the full-term, speculations have continued about leadership change later this year. Amid this, there is a guessing game on what exactly Mr. Shivakumar was signalling to by singing the RSS anthem. Is he keen to emerge as the Congress party’s own brand of “Hindutva icon”, or is he planning something else despite his loud protestations? This is question being asked in the political circles.