DK Shivakumar's RSS anthem recital 'a closed chapter': Mallikarjun Kharge

Bengaluru: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday termed Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's recitation of the RSS anthem in the Karnataka Assembly a "closed chapter" following his apology.

Speaking to reporters here, Kharge said he would not reopen a "closed case".

"The matter is over after apologising. You (media) should not latch onto it," the Congress chief said.

He warned that such an act should not be repeated in the future.

"He shouldn't have said that but he uttered it. Now he has apologised. I will not give much... i mean I will not reopen a closed case," the opposition leader in the Rajya Sabha said.

The storm began brewing in the Congress party in Karnataka after Shivakumar, who is also Congress state unit president, sang the RSS anthem 'Namaste Sada Vatsale Matrubhoome...' inside the state assembly during a discussion on the stadium stampede that killed 11 people.

The stampede occurred on June 4 near the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, when fans had gathered for the celebration of RCB's maiden IPL title.