A video from the Central University of Karnataka (CUK) featuring staff and students saluting to a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) song has sparked controversy. The footage, which went viral on social media, shows university faculty and students singing "Namaste Sada Vatsale," an anthem commonly sung at RSS shakhas.

The gathering in which the song was sung took place on July 18, at the university guest house. It is reported that around 100 students and staff members including Registrar RR Biradar, Liaison Officer Basavaraj M Somanamaradi, and professors Basavaraj Donur, Venkataramana Dodi, and Rohinaksha Shirlalu attended it.

A student who recorded the video said that his phone was confiscated by other students, who deleted the footage. However, the video was later restored.

Speaking to TNM, P Nandakumar, a research scholar in the university said that such activities have no place in an academic institution since they prioritise ideology over education. “The RSS is set to celebrate its 100th anniversary this year. The event was organised to plan the celebration,” he said.

Vice-Chancellor Battu Satyanarayana asked why the event was being made a big deal of, stating that the students had organised it as a guru pooja (teacher worship) function. "There are diverse ideological backgrounds among students and faculty at university. We cannot permit some groups to hold events while denying others. We've allowed the SC-ST Employees’ Association to meet and Bihar students to celebrate Bihari Diwas. This meeting was allowed on similar grounds. Only the faculty members and students attended, and no outsiders were present. My priority is maintaining high academic standards and research quality, and I do not get sidetracked by these issues,” Satyanarayana told TNM.