Overview

• On August 26, the Karnataka deputy chief minister said he would apologise if anyone was hurt and asserted he is a born Congressman who will die one.
• He explained that he recited a few lines to pull the BJP’s leg during discussion of the June 4 Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede, not to praise the RSS.
• He emphasized that no party high command asked him to apologise and described his devotion to the Gandhi family, calling them central to his political loyalty.
• Senior Congress figures such as B.K. Hariprasad urged an apology in his capacity as state party chief, while leaders including H.D. Ranganath and H.C. Mahadevappa said the recital did not signal support for the BJP.
• BJP leaders portrayed the episode as growing sympathy for the RSS, as the incident has prompted speculation about ‘soft Hindutva’ positioning and intra-party jockeying in Karnataka.