Don’t bar RSS march over fancy reasons: Madras High Court

CHENNAI: The State should not impose any new conditions for permitting the RSS route marches other than the guidelines set by the court, said the Madras High Court, adding that the police should not intervene in future route marches citing ‘fancy reasons’.

A public road must be treated as a public road and the presence of other religious structures in the earmarked route cannot be a reason to bar the procession of other religions, observed Justice G Jayachandran, directing the State police to scrupulously follow the guidelines issued by the High Court on January 5 regarding granting permissions for route marches.

The judge also directed the march organisers to find alternate routes or dates to conduct it in places where the police refused permission.

These directions were issued on a batch of petitions moved by RSS functionaries from various districts seeking permission to hold route marches and public meetings at 58 places across the State on Vijayadasami.

Additional public prosecutor (APP) KMD Muhilan submitted that 52 of the 58 applications were permitted while 6 were rejected for various reasons. The rejected places come under Avadi and Tambaram Commissionerate, Coimbatore city police and Thoothukudi police, he said.

In some places, permission was rejected because the organisers selected school premises to conduct the meeting without submitting consent letters from school management, said the APP. The applications were rejected in some places due to inadequate police force and the presence of other religious structures along the route, he said.

Responding to the submission, the petitioners’ counsel wondered whether these conditions were applicable for minority institutions, as they conduct even political meetings within the premises. Wherever permission was denied, the petitioners had come forward to hold route marches on alternate dates or routes, he said, citing the example of changing the event scheduled near Kulasekarapattinam considering the possibility of overcrowding on account of the Dussehra festival.

After the submission, the judge directed the police to consider the alternate routes or dates given by the petitioners and pass appropriate orders.

Also Read: Why protection for DMK event but not for RSS march, Madras HC asks cops