Coming as a major setback to MK Stalin in the state, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), on Sunday, April 16, conducted grand roadshows at 45 locations across Tamil Nadu, ending months of the legal battle. The police were forced to grant the permission after the Tamil Nadu government’s appeal against a Madras High Court decision permitting RSS to organise the march was rejected by the Supreme Court on Tuesday, April 11.
The draconian move of the DMK Government led by M. K. Stalin failed to stop the RSS in the State.
— Friends of RSS (@friendsofrss) April 17, 2023
RSS held route marches across 45 locations in Tamil Nadu, after a prolonged legal battle against the state government. #RSS4Nation pic.twitter.com/AA2P65gP4w
It may be noted that earlier the MK Stalin government in Tamil Nadu had raised objections and prohibited the event from taking place in the state. It filed a plea in the apex court against the Madras High Court orders allowing RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) to hold marches in the state.
However, after getting a nod from the SC, the traditional route march was conducted peacefully on Sunday, April 16. According to reports, the routes for the roadshow were pre-decided. The volunteers also carried drums and sticks, which are commonly used in these traditional parades.
स्टालिन सरकार ने रोकने का बहुत प्रयास किया पर वो सफल नहीं हो पाए और आज तमिलनाडु में 45 स्थानों पर RSS की भव्य परेड आयोजित हुई।
— Vikram Goud (@VikramGoudBJP) April 16, 2023
भारत माता की जय! 🚩#RSS4Nation #RSS_Route_March pic.twitter.com/7UXf2bY5Ua
The places in Tamil Nadu where the roadshow was held included Chennai, Vellore, Hosur, Salem, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Tiruvannamalai, Arani, Coimbatore, Mettupalayam, Palladam, Karur, Tenkasi, Kanyakumari, Tiruchupalli and Madurai. A rally was also organized in the Korattur area of Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, in which Union Minister of State for Fisheries and Animal Husbandry DL Murugan also participated. After this, he also addressed a huge public meeting.
R Vanniyarajan, the RSS president in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala, confirmed that the state police had granted permission for the marches after SC’s nod. “We approached the DGP on April 12 seeking permission for route marches on three probable dates: April 14, 15, and 16. The DGP granted permission to conduct marches on April 16 and requested the district cadre to approach their respective district commissioners and SPs and work out the route and other formalities.”
According to Vanniyarajan, the RSS has been organising these traditional route marches from Kashmir to Kanyakumari on the occasion of Vijyadashmi every year since 1925. All states, with the exception of Tamil Nadu, used to grant permission for the route marches.“The state government, whether DMK or AIADMK, have always refused permission for conducting route marches and RSS was forced to approach the court for obtaining permission,” he added.
The legal battle between RSS and MK Stalin Govt in Tamil Nadu over permission to hold Pathsanchalan
Notably, RSS had been conducting Vijayadasami route marches annually in the State. However, it was unable to plan route marches for the last few years due to the pandemic. Last year (2022), the Hindu outfit approached the state government seeking permission to hold its traditional route march on October 2. It planned to cover 51 locations across the state. The purpose of the processions was to mark the RSS’s founding day, India’s 75th anniversary of independence, and Dr B R Ambedkar’s birth centennial. In October 2022, the MK Stalin government refused to grant permission after which RSS approached the Madras High Court filling 50 writ petitions to direct the police to grant permission for the same.
What ensued was a protracted legal dispute between the Tamil Nadu DMK administration and the RSS.
RSS filed a case with the Madras High Court, seeking direction from the TN government to give permission. The state government, in turn, filed 50 review petitions, which Justice GK Illanthiraiyan of the Madras HC dismissed on September 22, 2022, and permitted the RSS to hold rallies across Tamil Nadu on October 2 with some conditions.
Since the order of HC dated September 22, 2022, was not complied with by the State Govt, RSS Tamil Nadu was forced to file 50 contempt petitions before Single Judge.
During the hearing of the contempt petition, State Govt filed a status report, in which it stated petrol bomb attacks on RSS and BJP cadres throughout Tamil Nadu as an excuse to not grant permission for the route march to RSS. It argued that RSS rallies would lead to instability and would be difficult to manage.
The Madras HC modified the order dated September 22, 2022, and gave permission for RSS to conduct procession within compounded premises in 23 places and conduct the route marches in 3 other locations. It rejected permission in 24 places. The court also ordered the TN Police to let the RSS hold a rally on November 6 rather than October 2.
Despite Madras HC’s specific orders, MK Stalin only granted permission for route marches in 3 locations while denying permission for other areas. It also went on to file a review petition on September 28 on war foot urgency.
Angered by the order of a single Judge for rejecting permission in other places, RSS Tamil Nadu filed 45 appeals to the division bench.
On November 2, the division bench set aside the order passed by Single Judge in contempt petition and restored the original order passed by Single Judge order. It rejected the State Government’s review petition.
Reprimanding the state police for not allowing rallies only based on information received from the intelligence department, the court once again issued instructions to the state police to allow RSS to hold rallies at 44 locations in the state.
The MK Stalin government filed an appeal against this order before the Supreme Court of India.
After an elaborate hearing of the State Government and RSS, the apex court on April 11, 2023, pronounced its orders allowing the RSS to conduct route marches in Tamil Nadu.
