Overview

• The Deputy Chief Minister sang the opening lines of the RSS prayer during a debate on the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede that killed 11 people.
• BJP Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka’s taunt about his past RSS links prompted the response, drawing loud bench‑thumping from BJP MLAs as Congress members stayed quiet.
• Shivakumar told reporters he is a “born Congressman” with no intention of joining the BJP or RSS, describing the move as part of his research on political opponents.
• He said the act was a message to the BJP and asserted he has “gone very deep” into understanding how the RSS builds institutions and acquires schools in Karnataka.
• The viral clip fueled online chatter about political signaling, and it revived an older admission that he attended RSS shakhas as a schoolboy in Bengaluru’s Rajajinagar.