Overview

• D.K. Shivakumar recited lines from the RSS anthem inside the Karnataka Assembly during a debate on the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede that killed 11 people.
• BJP legislators thumped benches as he sang, while Congress members largely stayed silent during the unusual exchange on the House floor.
• Speaking to reporters the next day, the deputy chief minister said he is a "born Congressman," ruled out joining the BJP or RSS, and framed the recital as part of his research on political organisations.
• A widely shared clip of the moment fueled online discussion and revived an older admission that he attended RSS shakhas in his youth in Bengaluru’s Rajajinagar.
• Reactions ranged from BJP figures mocking Congress to some allied voices calling the move a positive step, with no public disciplinary action by Congress as the stampede inquiry remains an active backdrop.