‘From quarry owner to educationist to politician — and now a new face?’: BK hits out at DK over RSS anthem

Agencies

August 25, 2025

Bengaluru: Congress MLC B K Hariprasad on Monday demanded an apology from Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar for singing the RSS anthem in the state Assembly and asked whom he was trying to please.

However, Minister H C Mahadevappa said singing the RSS anthem does not mean Shivakumar "is joining the BJP".

Hariprasad questioned who Shivakumar was trying to please by reciting the song linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, an organisation "banned thrice in independent India".

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, the MLC claimed, "No one will object if he sings the RSS anthem as deputy chief minister because the government does not belong to a party but to seven crore people of Karnataka—RSS, Jamat-e-Islami, Talibanis, and various others. But he is not supposed to sing it as the Congress state president".

Shivakumar took everyone by surprise on August 21 by singing the RSS anthem during a discussion in the state Assembly on the stampede near Chinnaswamy stadium, which claimed the lives of 11 people.

"If he sings as Congress state president, then he must apologise. It’s not proper to sing the prayer of an organisation that killed Mahatma Gandhi," Hariprasad alleged.

Taking a swipe at Shivakumar, he alleged, "He has many faces—a farmer, quarry owner, educationist, businessman, industrialist, politician. He may be this one also (RSS worker)." Hariprasad stressed that Congress members cannot compromise on party ideology and maintained that any association with the RSS was "not proper".

Karnataka Social Welfare Minister Mahadevappa and Mysuru MLA Tanveer Sait claimed that singing the RSS anthem in the Assembly does not mean Shivakumar "is joining the BJP." Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, Mahadevappa claimed, "He (Shivakumar) has only asserted that he too is a Hindu. Congress will continue to fight against that (RSS) ideology. Those who support secularism, democracy, and the Constitution will oppose it (RSS)." He further added that one should "condemn religious extremism and any organisation, including the RSS, that is harmful to democracy, the Constitution, and the majority of the country".

Tanveer Sait said, "Just because Shivakumar sang the RSS anthem does not mean he is in favour of the BJP." Shivakumar himself has said he was a "born Congress worker," he told reporters.

"We will not sacrifice our ideology, but I don’t find it wrong to understand others’ ideology," he added.

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara declined to comment on the issue.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Mangaluru’s KPT becomes India’s first autonomous govt polytechnic

News Network

January 23,2026

Mangaluru: The Karnataka Government Polytechnic (KPT), Mangaluru, has achieved autonomous status from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), becoming the first government polytechnic in the country to receive such recognition in its 78-year history. The status was granted by AICTE, New Delhi, and subsequently approved by the Karnataka Board of Technical Education in October last year.

Officials said the autonomy was conferred a few months ago. Until recently, AICTE extended autonomous status only to engineering colleges, excluding diploma institutions. However, with a renewed national focus on skill development, several government polytechnics across India have now been granted autonomy.

KPT, the second-largest polytechnic in Karnataka, was established in 1946 with four branches and has since expanded to offer eight diploma programmes, including computer science and polymer technology. The institution is spread across a 19-acre campus.

Ravindra M Keni, the first dean of the institution, told The Times of India that AICTE had proposed autonomous status for polytechnic institutions that are over 25 years old. “Many colleges applied. In the first round, 100 institutions were shortlisted, which was further narrowed down to 15 in the second round. We have already completed one semester after becoming an autonomous institution,” he said. He added that nearly 500 students are admitted annually across eight three-year diploma courses.

Explaining the factors that helped KPT secure autonomy, Keni said the institution has consistently recorded 100 per cent admissions and placements for its graduates. He also noted its strong performance in sports, with the college emerging champions for 12 consecutive years, along with active student participation in NCC and NSS activities.

Autonomous status allows KPT to design industry-oriented curricula, conduct examinations, prepare question papers, and manage academic documentation independently. The institution can also directly collaborate with industries and receive priority funding from AICTE or the Ministry of Education. While academic autonomy has been granted, financial control will continue to rest with the state government.

“There will be separate committees for examinations, question paper setting, boards of studies, and boards of examiners. The institution will now have the freedom to conduct admissions without government notifications and issue its own marks cards,” Keni said, adding that new academic initiatives would be planned after a year of functioning under the autonomous framework.

Comments