The Tamil Nadu police on Wednesday, September 28, denied permission to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to carry out ‘route march’ at 51 locations in Tamil Nadu on October 2. This comes after the Madras High Court granted the RSS permission to go ahead with the march. The police have said that the law and order situation prevailing in the wake of the ban on the Populist Front of India was not conducive to hold these marches. RSS is expected to approach the Madras High Court once again on the denial of permission by the state police.
The Tamil Nadu government has said that it will not give permission to any other organisation to hold marches or rallies. Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) had sought permission to hold a countermarch on October 2. Earlier, the Thiruvallur district police had denied permission for the RSS route march citing law and order situation. Taking objection to the denial of permission the RSS had issued a legal notice to the Tamil Nadu Home Secretary Phanindra Reddy, DGP Sylendra Babu, Thiruvallur district SP and town inspector.
In the legal notice issued by the RSS, they have called the rejection order issued by the police as illegal and contemptuous, adding that it is the duty of the police to provide protection to ensure the “successful completion of the mission”.
The VCK and left parties had announced a Communal Harmony rally on October 2nd, several organisations had extended support to VCK Chief Thirumavalavan’s initiative and had announced their participation.
The Madras High Court, in its order on September 22 granted permission to the march with several conditions including that no members of the organisation must sing or speak ill of any caste, religion or individual. According to the order, the participants of the programme are not allowed to express anything in favour of organisations banned by the government and must not indulge in activities “disturbing the sovereignty and integrity” of the country.
The RSS march that was bound to take place on October 2 also comes at a time when the BJP, its political arm, has been trying to make inroads into the southern state. However, this is not the first time that the RSS is being denied permission to hold marches or rallys in Tamil Nadu. When former AIADMK supremo J Jayalalitha was state Chief Minister, the Hindutva outfit was refused permission to hold demonstrations for several years together. However, it had resumed following her death in 2016 but had come to a pause during the Covid period.