The Karnataka High Court has ordered the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to file a fresh application seeking permission for a proposed route march in Chittapur on November 2, after an earlier request had been denied. A special bench entertained a petition filed by Ashok Patil, a convenor of the RSS in the Kalaburagi region, challenging the refusal of officials to grant permission for the march scheduled on October 19. The petitioners argued that all requisite information had been submitted and that the denial was unwarranted.
During proceedings, the Court questioned the state government on the criteria by which the denial had been made and underscored the need to respect all stakeholders’ sentiments. Recognizing the petitioners’ willingness to adjust timing and venue, the Court directed them to submit a fresh application with full details to the Deputy Commissioner of Kalaburagi. It further instructed authorities to consider it expeditiously, ensure copies are given to the Tahsildar and local police, and prepare a report by the next hearing, which is slated for October 24. In doing so, the Court implicitly accepted that the earlier refusal ought to be reconsidered under the principle of fairness.
The backdrop to this decision involves heightened tensions in Chittapur, the constituency of Minister Priyank Kharge, where authorities had denied permission citing law and order concerns. The Tahsildar’s order rejecting the RSS’s October 19 march pointed to intelligence that multiple organizations—including the RSS, Bhim Army, and Indian Dalit Panthers—intended to hold processions simultaneously along the same route, posing risk of clashes and public disorder. Alongside, a cabinet decision of the Karnataka government mandated that private organizations obtain prior permission for use of government property or public premises, tightening controls over public events and gatherings.
In rejecting the earlier request, officials had on various grounds questioned the sufficiency of disclosures, timing, potential for conflict, and absence of a clear plan from the RSS. The Court’s directive to treat the fresh application seriously obliges authorities to evaluate the request on merit rather than rely on blanket refusals. By fixing a return date for status, the High Court seeks to ensure accountability in the adjudicatory process and prevent arbitrary denials.
With this order, the High Court has paused the prohibition against the RSS’s march and inserted a procedural mechanism to enable a fresh, reasoned decision. The matter remains pending, with the Court to examine how the fresh petition is treated and whether the administrative authorities will accommodate the exercise of the right to assemble, subject to reasonable restrictions and law and order concerns.
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