On Wednesday, the Tamil Nadu government rejected permission to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to perform a march on October 2, citing law and order concerns. This is after the RSS had served a notice to senior state government officials, including the Home Secretary, in response to the Tiruvallur police department’s refusal to provide permission for the march, despite a Madras High Court judgment in its favour.
Earlier on September 22, the Madras High Court had directed the Tamil Nadu government to approve the proposed march by RSS on October 2 at 50 locations in the state. A bench of justice GK Ilanthiraiyan had said that the state government must grant the permission on or before September 28. But despite the High Court order, the Tamil Nadu Police on Wednesday denied permission to the march by RSS, saying that the law and order situation in the state in the aftermath of the ban on PFI is not conducive for the march. The state govt said that it will not grant permission to any organisation for rallies or marches.
Following the refusal of permission for the march, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh members served a legal notice on State Home Secretary Phanindra Reddy, DGP C Sylendra Babu, the local SP, and the town police inspector, asking why they should not face contempt charges for defying the court order.
#UPDATE | Tamil Nadu Government denies permission for RSS march which was planned to be held on October 2, citing law and order issues.
— ANI (@ANI) September 29, 2022
RSS counsel B Rabu Manohar argued in his legal notice that in light of Justice G K Ilanthiraiyan’s judgment dated September 22, none of the four had any jurisdiction to reject permission or set any new conditions for the event other than those imposed by the High Court.
“It is the duty cast upon the police to give adequate protection, enabling the successful completion of the mission without acting otherwise. The rejection order passed by the inspector (attached to Tiruvallur town police station) is ex facie illegal and contemptuous, as the three are parties before the High Court and are duty bound to ensure strict compliance of the order, failure of which would amount to committing contempt”, the notice read.
B Rabu Manohar also asked the four authorities to unconditionally lift the rejection decision and allow the route march and public gathering on October 2. He further threatened that failure to comply would result in contempt proceedings before the High Court for willful disobedience of the September 22 order, with costs.
Last week on September 22, the Madras High Court granted permission to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to march in several venues across Tamil Nadu on October 2 with reasonable limits. A bench led by Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan had urged authorities to allow the RSS authorization by September 28. RSS had requested authorization and petitioned the High Court to arrange a parade on October 2 with its members dressed in their uniforms, led by a music band, and followed by a public assembly.
During the hearing, the petitioners stated that every person has the right to lawfully assemble within acceptable limits and that because the organization has not been outlawed, there is no reason why they cannot carry out their parade. The RSS stated that the march would be held to promote social and communal peace and that no members of the RSS would be allowed to carry weapons. The organization further asserted that while other states and the union territory of Puducherry had been granted permission to carry out the parade, “Tamil Nadu’s representation was put on hold”.
