Karnataka HC holds special sitting as RSS vs Congress war escalates, Sangh plans route march on Nov 2

The Karnataka High Court on Sunday directed the State Government to consider an application from the RSS seeking permission to hold a route march at Chittapur in Kalaburagi district on November 2.

The RSS is holding nationwide path sanchalan (route march) events to mark its centenary year.

At a special sitting of the court on Sunday, Justice MG Shukare Kamal issued directions on a petition moved by Ashok Patil, an RSS leader from the district.


The RSS moved the court after the Chittapur Tahsildar declined permission for the route march on October 19 citing lack of clarity on a dozen questions from the organisers of the event. He also cited two other organisations planning to hold separate events on the same day and the route.

The court, while asking the RSS to make a fresh application before the district authorities, also asked the Advocate General Shashikiran Shetty to submit a report on the action taken on the application to the court.

The court posted the case for October 24 for further hearing, while making it clear that it was not passing a order on the merits of the petition.

Chittapur is represented in the assembly by IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge, who campaigned for a ban on RSS activities at public places without permission.

The ruling Congress and BJP have got into a bitter war of words ever since Kharge sought a ban on RSS activities at public places including at, playgrounds of both government and aided schools, temples administered by the government and archeological sites. The State Cabinet on October 16 accepted Kharge Jr’s demands and the government later issued notifications mandating all organisations to seek prior permission from authorities to hold their events or activities.

On Sunday’s developments in the high court, both Congress and BJP claimed victory. BJP state president BY Vijayendra said the court verdict has sent a clear message that there is no room for authoritarian rule in a democratic system and has taught a fitting lesson to those who loudly proclaim their commitment to the Constitution in broad daylight.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said the government’s actions were aimed at hiding its failure in governance at a time investments were fleeing Karnataka. “Siddaramaiah needs to learn from senior leaders like Kharge (Sr),” Joshi said.

The IT/BT Minister, countering the BJP’s claims, said the high court has only directed the petitioners (RSS) to file a fresh application, which the State Government "may consider".

The government, meanwhile, has suspended a panchayat development officer in Raichur for participating in a RSS route march. Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya (BJP) has offered to argue his case before the court. “There are multiple hudgments from high courts which have upheld the government servants right to participate in RSS programmes,” he said in a post.

Senior Congress lawmaker KN Rajanna, however, questioned the government’s latest policy wondering if Muslims would take permission to perform Namaz at public places. Rajanna was recently dropped from the Cabinet for questioning the logic behind the ‘vote theft’ campaign.