Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress president DK Shivakumar found himself at the center of a political storm on Thursday after defending his attendance at the Mahashivratri celebrations hosted by spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev at the Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore. Facing criticism from within his own party, Shivakumar asserted that his participation was a matter of "personal belief" and urged detractors not to politicise the issue.
The controversy erupted after Shivakumar attended the event on Wednesday night, February 26, where he shared the stage with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other dignitaries. His visit followed a personal invitation from Sadhguru, who met Shivakumar at his Bengaluru residence a week earlier. Shivakumar’s subsequent social media post thanking Sadhguru for the invite and praising their “long conversation about life and spirituality” drew sharp rebuke from All India Congress Committee (AICC) Secretary PV Mohan. Mohan, in a post on X, accused Shivakumar of compromising the party’s secular stance by associating with Sadhguru, whom he claimed aligns with the RSS and had previously mocked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
“It is alarming that the president of a secular party like Congress attended an event hosted by Sadhguru. This misleads party workers and damages the core of our ideology,” Mohan wrote, igniting a debate within Congress circles. The criticism intensified as some party members questioned Shivakumar’s loyalties, especially given his presence alongside Amit Shah, a prominent BJP leader.
Addressing the media in Bengaluru on Thursday, Shivakumar firmly dismissed the controversy. “I attended the Mahashivratri celebrations at Isha Foundation. It is my personal belief. I can’t reply to everyone who posts something on social media. I don’t want the BJP or Congress to welcome it, nor do I want the media to discuss it. This is purely my personal belief,” he said. He emphasised that Sadhguru, a native of Mysuru, Karnataka, had personally invited him, adding, “I appreciate his traditions and the causes he supports, like the Cauvery issue and ‘Save Soil’ campaign. I don’t know about his personal statements.”
Shivakumar further defended his stance by highlighting his faith. “I go where my faith takes me. I often visit Nonavinakere mutt, and people ask why I don’t go to my community mutt. I go where I feel reassured,” he said, reinforcing his earlier assertion that he is “a born Hindu” who respects all religions. He also distanced himself from Sadhguru’s alleged remarks on Rahul Gandhi, stating, “I don’t know who has commented on whom. Our political stand and our leader is Rahul Gandhi. If anyone speaks against him in front of us, we will answer them.”
The row comes amid speculation about Shivakumar’s political ambitions and his rumored closeness to the BJP, which he has repeatedly denied. On Wednesday, he called such reports “false propaganda,” affirming, “I was born a Congressman, and I cherish it.” The Mahashivratri event, a night-long celebration featuring meditations and performances, has thus thrust Shivakumar into an ideological tug-of-war, with some in Congress viewing his actions as a breach of party principles, while others see it as a personal choice unfairly magnified.
As the dust settles, Shivakumar’s insistence on separating his spiritual inclinations from his political duties underscores a broader tension within the Congress over balancing individual beliefs with collective ideology. For now, the Deputy CM remains steadfast, leaving the party to grapple with the fallout of his high-profile spiritual outing.