The Madras High Court questioned the Tamil Nadu government over its refusal to grant permission for route marches of the Hindutva group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). "What is your fear? Are you fearing.." Justice V Lakshminarayanan asked the Tamil Nadu Advocate General.
The RSS had sought permission for route marches at various places in the state on October 18 and 25 and November 1. The AG told the court that permitting marches during the festive season would require substantial police deployment and inconvenience the public. TVK’s Joseph Vijay is the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
According to Live Law, the court observed that if the RSS was "able to have a march in a terrorist infested place like Jammu and Kashmir, why is the Tamil Nadu police denying permission to them every year?"
"This government is against any procession. They're denying permission for Dravidar Kazhagam and for RSS," the court orally remarked.
When the AG referred to criminal cases linked to the RSS, the court asked for specifics. "Where, sir? Where are criminal cases on account of violence, you please tell me," Justice Lakshminarayanan said.
The court further remarked that the RSS wanted to host a route march on its founding day and asked what was wrong with it. The court also said that permission cannot be denied on the ground that the proposed route for the marches had other places of worship, such as mosques.
The RSS, which is a Hindu volunteer organisation, has strong links to the BJP, with various prominent leaders coming through its ranks, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.