Karnataka asks RSS to seek police approval for Vijaya Dashami route marches

Bengaluru: Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday asked the RSS to obtain prior permission from the police for its proposed route marches on Sunday as part of Vijaya Dashami celebrations, saying merely informing local police stations would not suffice.

The RSS, which was founded on Vijaya Dashami in 1925, traditionally organises route marches across the country on the Sunday following the festival.

Kharge said the organisation must submit applications in the prescribed format to the police stations concerned and wait for formal approval before holding the marches.


"All rules that apply to others apply to the RSS as well. We are merely asking them to seek permission before conducting the march. If there are any issues with the proposed routes, local authorities have been instructed to resolve them," Kharge told reporters.

In a post on X, the minister cited the RSS's Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha Annual Report 2025-26, which said the organisation conducted 562 route marches across Karnataka involving 2,21,963 uniformed participants.

Kharge said the police department would need to make extensive preparations if lakhs of RSS volunteers take part in marches across the state on the same day.

"Deployment of personnel, transportation, food arrangements, traffic management, security and other logistics require planning, manpower and public resources," he said.

Responding to the minister's remarks, senior BJP MLA S Suresh Kumar said the RSS has always conducted its route marches after taking police permission well in advance. He added that volunteers would also ensure public spaces are cleaned after the event.

In a related development, the Madras High Court last week permitted the RSS to hold route marches across Tamil Nadu on October 25 and November 1, while criticising the police for repeatedly denying permission to the organisation.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a message on the RSS's foundation day, said the organisation had completed a "remarkable century of service, nation-building and social harmony".

"Countless Swayamsevaks have worked for society with a deep sense of duty and a nation-first spirit," Modi said.