Not opposed to RSS route march but can’t permit it in sensitive areas: TN Govt tells SC

New Delhi [India], March 3 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Government on Friday told the Supreme Court that they are not totally against the RSS route march but can’t permit it in sensitive locations. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Friday also assured the Supreme Court that it is not going to hold any route march on March 5 in Tamil Nadu as the organisation has decided to postpone the rally. Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, appearing for RSS, told the Supreme Court the organisation is not going to do anything till March 11 or March 12.

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Tamil Nadu Government, hence urged the top court to post to March 17. The state government also agreed to present the inputs before the bench in a sealed cover and also the proposed routes. Tamil Nadu Government also said that they will have a dialogue with the RSS on proposed routes for march as they are not totally oppose of it. A bench of justices V Ramasubramanian and Pankaj Mithal thereafter adjourned the matter for March 17 for hearing a plea by the Tamilnadu government appeal against the Madras High Court order permitting RSS for its route march in the state.

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Tamil Nadu Government, said that they are not totally opposing the route march and public meetings by RSS across the state but it cannot be permitted in every street and mohalla. Senior Advocate Rohatgi apprised the court that the government denied holding route marches in the sensitive areas, which have faced PFI incidents and have border areas with disturbances. The lawyer said that the government had had some intelligence reports.

Tamil Nadu Government lawyer submitted the court cannot shut its eye to the bomb blasts in Coimbatore, PFI incidents etc. On this the court remarked that one is a language of democracy and one is the language of power and which language you speak depends on where you are. The lawyer for Tamilnadu Govt stressed that they are not fully opposed to the procession but to the manner in which it is proposed to be done.

RSS lawyer replied that the ground the state government mentioned is that PFI was banned by Central Govt and it is a threat to the organisation. They are not able to control terrorist organizations and that is why they want to ban the route march, the lawyer said. Tamil Nadu Government has moved the top court against the Madras High Court order permitting the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to take out its route march in Tamil Nadu on rescheduled dates.

On February 10, Madras High Court directed Tamil Nadu police to grant permission to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to take route marches in various districts across the State on public roads.