Karnataka High Court Allows RSS Centenary March In Chittapur; Seeks Fresh Application

The Karnataka High Court on Sunday granted approval for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) centenary march to take place in Chittapur on 2 November.

The court, however, directed organisers to file a fresh application and instructed the government to review it.

The court adjourned the matter to 24 October.

The Kalaburagi Bench of the High Court issued the order after hearing the petition on an urgent basis.

Ashok Patil, the RSS district leader from Kalaburagi, filed the plea. He contested the authorities’ decision to deny permission for the march despite completing all formalities and submitting the required application.

During the hearing, Justice MGS Kamal, who headed the bench, enquired about which authority held the legal power to grant such permission.

Senior advocate Arun Shyam, representing the petitioner, explained that the request had first been submitted to the police earlier in the week and later to the Executive Magistrate, but permission was refused on 19 October.

Court Questions Legal Basis for Denial

The bench also raised questions about whether a procession that is not a protest requires prior approval and sought clarification on the relevant legal provisions.

The petitioner’s counsel argued that there was no specific law regulating such permissions.

The government’s counsel maintained that the denial was based on law and order considerations, noting that other organisations, including the Bhim Army and Dalit Panthers, had also sought to hold processions on the same day.

The court directed the government to allocate separate time slots for different groups wishing to conduct their events.

It also noted that the RSS had already organised similar marches at around 250 locations across Karnataka without any incidents reported.

The RSS had approached the Kalaburagi Bench after the Chittapur Tahsildar refused permission for the centenary event, initially planned for 19 October.

Chittapur MLA and Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, as well as IT and BT, Priyank Kharge, who had recently called for a ban on RSS activities, had sparked controversy in the constituency ahead of the proposed march.

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