Karnataka High Court asks RSS to reapply for route march permission in Chittapur
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The Karnataka High Court has directed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to submit a fresh application to the Kalaburagi district administration for permission to hold its proposed route march at Chittapur in Kalaburagi district.
The order came during a special hearing on Sunday, in response to a petition filed by RSS activist Ashok Patil. The petition followed the Chittapur tahsildar’s decision to deny permission for the march, which was originally planned for Sunday.
According to officials, the tahsildar had sought additional details from RSS representatives, including the expected number of participants, names of speakers, and the organisation’s registration documents. He stated that a final decision would be taken once the necessary information was provided.
Justice M. G. S. Kamal, who heard the matter, instructed the RSS to file a new application and directed the district administration to review it and submit a report by October 24.
Patil initially requested the court to permit the march on Sunday, but was later informed that the organisation intended to hold it on November 2 instead.
The tahsildar’s earlier decision to deny permission was based on law and order concerns. Two Dalit organisations - the Bhim Army and the Dalit Panthers - had also sought permission for processions on the same route. Authorities cited the potential for clashes as the reason for rejecting all three requests.
The proposed march route falls within the constituency of Minister Priyank Kharge, who recently urged the state government to restrict RSS activities on government land and property. The Karnataka Cabinet subsequently approved a new order regulating the use of public spaces and imposing penalties for organising events without prior permission. The government order was formally issued on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka claimed that the court had permitted the RSS to conduct its march on November 2, saying the attempt to block the event had been “politically motivated.”