New Delhi (India), April 11, 2023: The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the appeal by the Tamil Nadu government against the Madras High Court’s order allowing route marches by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the state.
The Madras High Court had allowed the route marches on February 10 despite the state’s refusal of permission, citing the threat of attack from the banned Muslim organization Popular Front of India (PFI)
The state government had challenged the High Court’s order in the top court, which was dismissed by a bench of Justices V Ramasubramanian and Pankaj Mithal. Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, appearing for the RSS, argued that the right to assemble peacefully without arms cannot be curtailed in the absence of very strong grounds.
Jethmalani questioned the ban imposed by the government on the RSS to carry out marches in some areas on the ground that the PFI was also recently banned.
He pointed out that not a single incident of violence was reported from the areas where the marches were carried out, adding that members of the RSS were attacked while sitting peacefully.
The Tamil Nadu government had told the top court on March 3 that it is not completely opposed to allowing the RSS’s route marches and public meetings across the state on March 5, but cited intelligence reports to say these cannot be held in every street or locality.
The dismissal of the appeal by the Supreme Court has come as a victory for the RSS, which has been facing opposition from various quarters for its activities. However, the decision is likely to draw criticism from those who see the RSS as a divisive and communal organization.
