New Delhi: Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivakumar said on Wednesday that “our party” laid the foundation for ‘Vande Mataram’, adding “it is our party that gave this country the national flag, the national anthem, the Constitution and Independence. It is our party that has served this nation”.
“Now the BJP and others are following us. That itself gives us happiness,” he said while responding to questions from the media at Karnataka Bhavan in Delhi.
When asked about the demand that ‘Vande Mataram’ be accorded the same respect as the national anthem and be made mandatory, he said: “We sing ‘Vande Mataram’ at every stage while beginning our programmes. We give respect to ‘Vande Mataram’ and we follow it.”
Referring to past decisions, he said: “When late S.M. Krishna was the Chief Minister, we made Kuvempu’s ‘Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate’ compulsory as the state anthem. It contains the line ‘Sarvajanangada Shantiya Thota’ (garden of peace for all communities). Ours is a garden of peace for all communities. It mentions what is to be said and which religions are to be referred to. Hindus, Christians and Muslims are all mentioned in the song itself. We are the ones who have grown up on such soil.”
When asked whether this would result in two national anthems, he replied: “We will speak about that later.”
When asked about his brother, former Congress MP D.K. Suresh’s statement that though there may be some delay, Siddaramaiah would keep his word, Shivakumar said: “I have said that time will give the answer. I have also said that only we know what we have spoken about.”
When asked when that time would come, he replied cryptically: “I will tell you at the appropriate time.”
On being asked whether he had met Priyanka Gandhi, he said: “I just visited the Congress office. I am currently busy with the Assam election work. Why discuss different issues in different ways? I will speak about this later. Time will give the answer.”
(IANS)
