SC upholds HC order allowing RSS to carry out rallies in Tamil Nadu

The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the Madras High Court order that directed the Tamil Nadu government allowing the Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (RSS) to carry out rallies in the state.

A bench of Justices V Ramasubramanian and Pankaj Mithal said, "All special leave petitions are dismissed".

On March 27, the top court had reserved its verdict on pleas of the Tamil Nadu government against the February 10 order of the Madras High Court allowing the RSS to hold marches in the state.

The Tamil Nadu government had on March 3 told the top court that it is not completely opposed to allowing the RSS' route marches and public meetings across the state but cited intelligence reports to say these cannot be held in every street or locality.

On February 10, a division bench of the Madras High Court had restored the order dated September 22, 2022 which directed the Tamil Nadu Police to consider the RSS' representation and grant permission to conduct the programmes without conditions. It had set aside the order passed on November 4, 2022 by a single judge bench of the high court which had imposed conditions on the proposed state-wide route marches asking the RSS to hold the events indoor or in an enclosed space.

Last year, Tamil Nadu Police had denied permission for RSS rallies in many places for which RSS office bearers had moved a contempt of court petition in the Madras High Court, according to news agency PTI. The court had made it clear that authorities would face contempt action if they violate the order.

"The Court had passed orders only after taking all circumstances into consideration and that no one should be allowed to undermine a judicial order and denial of permission despite court orders seems to be a mockery," RSS Side Senior Counsel Prabhakaran had argued last year.

Police side Council Elango had said that the central intelligence agencies itself had given inputs to the State regarding possible disturbance of law and order due to the action taken against the Popular Front of India (PFI), the PTI report also said. "Chennai High Court has given permission to the RSS March and ordered the Tamil Nadu government to consider giving permission for the RSS March. Though it is said that, due to law and order issues the Government is denying permission for RSS March," an official release from Tamil Nadu Government issued last year had said.