Madras HC permits RSS route marches at 128 locations in Tamil Nadu

Justice V Lakshminarayanan made the observations while hearing a petition filed by RSS North Tamil Nadu secretary VG Jagadeesan, who challenged police orders denying permission for the organisation's annual route marches and public meetings as part of its Vijayadashami celebrations.

The RSS had sought permission to conduct the processions on October 18, October 25 and November 1 as alternative dates. However, the state police rejected the applications, citing the presence of places of worship belonging to other communities along the proposed routes, statues of rationalist leaders, traffic congestion, the use of loudspeakers and potential law and order problems.

The Court observed that these grounds had already been considered and disapproved in earlier proceedings.

It noted that the RSS had been approaching the Court for permission to conduct route marches since 2022 and referred to previous decisions recognising the organisation's right to hold such marches, subject to lawful restrictions.

The High Court also cited a 2023 order passed by one of its benches, which held that public roads remain secular spaces accessible to everyone, irrespective of religion, caste or creed.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Madras High Court upheld Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker JCD Prabhakars decision to accept the resignations of six AIADMK MLAs who defected to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

The MLAs are Maragatham Kumaravel, Sathyabama, Isakki Subbaiah, Jayakumar, MR Vijayabhaskar and C Vijayabhaskar.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan partly allowed a batch of writ petitions filed by AIADMK whip Agri SS Krishnamurthy challenging the Speakers order. The resignations were accepted between May 26 and June 29. (ANI)