RSS' route march in Tamil Nadu: After the permission was granted, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is set to hold route marches across Tamil Nadu on Sunday (April 16). According to the police, the 'traditional' rallies would be held in 45 places across the state. These places include Chennai, Vellore, Hosur, Salem, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Tiruvannamalai, Arani, Coimbatore, Mettupalayam, Palladam, Karur, Tenkasi, Kanyakumari, Madurai and Tiruchirappalli.
The police said that adequate security arrangements have been put in place after the permission was granted following the dismissal of Tamil Nadu's appeals in the Supreme Court. The ruling DMK termed as unfortunate the top court dismissing the government's appeals. Notably, the RSS is trying to hold a route march since last year but could not do.
The government had refused permission and the matter also went to the Madras High Court. When the RSS announced its route marches, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi opposed it and said it would hold a human-chain movement for social harmony.
SC upholds Madras High Court orders
On April 11, the Supreme Court upheld the Madras High Court orders allowing RSS to hold marches in the State and dismissed the appeals of the Tamil Nadu government. A bench of Justices V Ramasubramanian and Pankaj Mithal said, "All special leave petitions are dismissed."
The top court noted that the RSS members were not the perpetrators but victims in many of the cases cited in the data submitted by the state government while seeking that the marches be held only in certain enclosed areas due to the law and order situation following the imposition of a ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI).
The nearly eight-month-old issue of holding marches by the members of the RSS in the southern state saw several orders being passed by a single judge bench of the high court since September last year followed by a division bench order in February.
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SC dismisses appeals filed by TN govt
In total, the top court dismissed three appeals filed by the state government, including the main appeal against the order dated February 10, 2023, passed by a division bench of the High Court restoring the original order dated September 22, 2022, which directed the Tamil Nadu Police to consider the representation of RSS and grant permission to hold permissions with certain conditions.
In the original order, the single judge, while disposing of the 49 writ petitions filed by members of the RSS, had asked the state government to grant permission to allow processions and to conduct public meetings on October 2, 2022, at various places subject to certain conditions.
(With PTI inputs)
