Madras HC Greenlights RSS Route Marches at 128 Tamil Nadu Spots
The Madras High Court has allowed the RSS to hold route marches at 128 locations in Tamil Nadu, criticizing police for denying permission.
The Madras High Court has stepped in to permit the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to carry out its annual route marches across 128 different locations in Tamil Nadu. The court's decision comes as a significant blow to the state police, who had repeatedly denied the organization permission to hold these events on October 25 and November 1.
Court Criticizes Police for Repeated Denials
Justice V Lakshminarayanan, while presiding over the matter, expressed criticism toward the state police for their approach to the applications. The court observed that the police had been rejecting requests based on grounds that had already been examined and dismissed in previous legal proceedings.
The legal battle began when VG Jagadeesan, the RSS North Tamil Nadu secretary, filed a petition challenging the police orders. The RSS had requested permission to hold public meetings and processions as part of its Vijayadashami celebrations, proposing October 18, October 25, and November 1 as potential dates.
The Grounds for Rejection
The state police had initially blocked the marches citing several concerns, including:
- The presence of statues of rationalist leaders along the routes.
- The proximity of places of worship belonging to other communities.
- Potential traffic congestion in the areas.
- The use of loudspeakers during the events.
- General law and order concerns.
However, the High Court noted that the RSS has been seeking judicial intervention for these permissions since 2022. The court referred to previous rulings that recognized the right of the organization to conduct such marches, provided they adhere to lawful restrictions.
Public Roads as Secular Spaces
In a pivotal observation, the High Court cited a 2023 order from one of its benches. The ruling emphasized a fundamental principle of public infrastructure: that public roads are secular spaces. The court maintained that these roads must remain accessible to every citizen, regardless of their religion, caste, or creed.
The court highlighted that the reasons provided by the police for the denial had already been considered and disapproved in earlier proceedings.