The Madras High Court has questioned the Tamil Nadu police’s decision to deny permission for RSS rallies on routes that include mosques and other places of worship, while directing the organisation to submit detailed route and participant information and follow previously prescribed conditions.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Jagadeesan, the state secretary of the RSS, seeking directions to allow rallies across Tamil Nadu. The matter was heard by Justice V. Lakshminarayanan after discussions between the petitioner and State Public Prosecutor R. John Sathyan held two days earlier.
The police told the court that rallies had been proposed in 128 locations across the state. It said arrangements had been made for processions in northern districts on October 25 and in southern districts on November 1. However, an agreement had not been reached for 58 locations.
According to the police, permission had not been granted on some proposed routes because they passed places of worship, including mosques. The police said the decision was taken after considering law-and-order concerns.
During the hearing, the judge questioned how permission could be denied merely because mosques or other places of worship were located along the proposed routes. The judge also asked how many Muslims had opposed the rallies and cautioned against portraying them incorrectly, according to the report.
The court directed the RSS to provide the police with details including the locations of the rallies and the number of participants expected at each event. It also required the organisation to give an assurance that it would strictly comply with the conditions and regulations previously laid down by the High Court.
The proceedings place the administration of public processions within a framework that requires both route-level policing and compliance by organisers. For cities and towns, such permissions can affect traffic movement, access to public roads and the deployment of police personnel, although the report does not provide details of the specific routes or local traffic arrangements.
The report also does not state that permission has been granted for all 128 proposed locations. The immediate next step is for the RSS to submit the requested details and assurances to the police, while the unresolved permissions for 58 locations remain part of the ongoing proceedings.
