Bengaluru: Apologising to party workers and India bloc leaders if he had inadvertently hurt their sentiments, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar today said that he had not done anything wrong.
Addressing a press conference at Vidhana Soudha to clear the air about him singing the anthem of RSS, he said, “I haven’t praised the RSS. It is my job to learn about my opponents. I sang a few lines of the RSS anthem in the Assembly to pull the leg of Leader of the Opposition R Ashok. I was only trying to tell Ashok that I know his background. But, some people have taken out only the anthem without the context and are making national news.”
“I have identified myself with the Congress as a student leader from 1979. I am not new to the party and I don’t need any lecture from anyone. I am the person who even names my touring talkies as ‘Indira talkies’. My relationship with the Gandhi family and the Congress party is akin to God and disciple relationship,” he said.
“I come from student politics and I have studied history and agenda of all political parties. It is my duty. I have understood how RSS spread its roots in Karnataka even before BJP came to power. As a political leader, I have understood how RSS is organising in the state,” he said.
“If someone wants to criticise me without knowing my history, conviction and philosophy, it is their wish. Some of my colleagues are criticising me. I will apologise to India bloc leaders but I am scared of those who want to play politics. Let no one have the feeling that I have been forced to apologise. I am not the type which is scared of threats,” he said.
Those questioning me are stupid
“I have said many things to pull the leg of Opposition members. Many, including my friends are trying to do politics and create confusion among public. I reiterate my earlier statement that I am a born Congressman. No one can question my loyalty to the party and Gandhi family. If anyone does, they are stupid. No one has fought as much as I have done in the state. No one can even come close among the contemporaries. I am committed to build 100 party offices in the state on the occasion of 100 years of Gandhi becoming the party president. I don’t know how long I will be in power but I want to leave a permanent mark in the party,” he said.
Only I know how much I have gone through for the party
“Everyone knows what happened when I tried to save the Vilas Rao Deshmukh party. I later protected the legislators to ensure Ahmed Patel’s victory. Because of this, my family, my friends and I had to go through ED and CBI raids and several cases were slapped. I went through a lot of torture and spent time in Tihar jail. All these cases were dismissed in the Supreme Court.”
“After the cases, many thought my political career was over. But, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge gave me an opportunity to lead the party in the state. I haven’t slept properly since then.
I am a Hindu and I have faith in all religions
“I can speak on Communist philosophy, recite shlokas, talk about Chanakya Neeti and Bhagawad Gita with the same ease. I am a born Hindu but have faith other religions. There is no point in speaking before the media, come to the party office and we will speak. Media is the one which helped me grow and I treat media as my guide,” he said.
High Command watches everything*
Asked if Rahul Gandhi sought clarification about his action, he said, “No one has questioned me regarding this. Nobody from the High command had spoken to me about it. They may have discussed and sought information from others. Everyone trusts me in the party. They know that I will die in the party,” he said.
To a question that the party doesn’t like his soft Hindutva, he said, “I never conceal my religion. Nu I do interact
