Bengaluru, 26 Aug

Apparently stung by criticism from within the party for singing the RSS' prayer song, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday said he was sorry if anyone was hurt over him rendering it at the State Assembly and asserted that he was a Congressman and would die as one.

Shivakumar, also the state Congress president, had taken everyone by surprise by singing the RSS anthem song on the floor of the House recently.

"I am sorry if anyone is hurt," he said. "None from the party high command have questioned me on this."

The deputy CM told reporters that he only made a "passing reference" in the Assembly.

"I'm not bigger than anyone, my life is there to give strength to everyone. I have stood by everyone in their difficult time, still I stand by them...as a loyal Congressman I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings... If you want an apology, yes. For all the Congressmen and many political party friends of INDIA bloc they may be hurt."

"If you feel that I have committed a mistake, which I have not done, I'm still ready to apologise," he said.

On 21 August, Shivakumar recited a couple of lines of the RSS' prayer ‘Namaste Sada Vatsale...’ in the Assembly during a debate on the Chinnaswamy stadium stampede. The BJP had welcomed Shivakumar singing the anthem by thumping their desks in the House.

Reaffirming his loyalty to the Congress party and Gandhi family, Shivakumar further said, "My loyalty to the Congress party and Gandhi family cannot be questioned by anyone."

"I'm a born Congressman, I will die as a Congressman."

Senior Congress leader B K Hariprasad on Monday had wondered if Shivakumar was trying to “impress someone” by singing the RSS' prayer inside the Assembly.

"We have no objection to Shivakumar reciting the prayer as the Deputy CM because a government belongs to all, including the RSS. If he said it as Congress president, he’ll have to apologise," he had demanded.