The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu police to permit Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to take out route marches on public roads across the state.
Justices R Mahadevan and Mohammed Shaffiq quashed the single judge order refusing permission for the RSS to carry out the route march outdoors and protest inside compounds owing to the law and order issues in the state. The court had observed that a democratic state must uphold citizens’ right to freedom of speech and expression.
The bench has directed the RSS to suggest three dates for the route march and apply for permission from the police. It had directed the police to consider the application as per law and also told the RSS to organise the march without instigating anyone.
Both the RSS and the BJP welcomed the order, calling it a victory for democracy. The Congress, meanwhile, urged the Sangh to maintain law and order.
“This is a victory for democracy. This is a victory for the right people and this is a defeat of the so-called progressive front which has been saying that RSS is a dangerous organisation. DMK’s plot to control RSS has once again failed. We welcome the court’s order. RSS will only spread discipline and won’t create a law and order issue in the state. It is the DMK fearing the growth of RSS and BJP in Tamil Nadu and trying to control our growth here. Now, we are happy with the court’s verdict,” said Narayanan Tirupathi, BJP spokesperson.
RSS sympathiser Rajiv Tuli said: “The problem with today’s Congress is that they don’t believe in Mahatma Gandhi, they don’t believe in Nehru, they don’t even believe in Indira Gandhi. Gandhi visited our ‘shakha’ and he was appreciative about RSS . Nehruji invited us for the 1963 Republic day parade. They don’t know their history. They don’t know about RSS.
“Since its establishment, RSS has been working for the country, with the country and by the countrymen. This is the reason the Congress is getting disconnected from every place because they are not understanding the ground reality and they don’t even know the history of the country.”
The Congress, meanwhile, said it had to accept the court’s decision. Americai Narayanan, Congress spokesperson, said: “I don’t want to comment on RSS. I think the high court has given a go ahead for the march and it will go on. In a democracy, we need to hear all sorts of voices — good, bad and ugly. We have to accept the HC’s decision. We have to make sure the RSS does not create any law and order problems. That is the responsibility of the RSS and the police. We shouldn’t divide the country on communal lines.”
The RSS had planned a route march across the state on October 2 last year but the state police had denied permission, prompting the Sangh to file a contempt plea. The court had granted permission for the march to be held on November 6 in 44 of the 50 places but with a rider — the procession can be conducted indoors (either a stadium or a ground). Following this, the RSS moved the higher court to challenge the single judge verdict.
Read all the Latest India News here
Comments
0 comment