RSS cancels Nov 6 rally in Tamil Nadu, to appeal against Madras HC verdict – India Today

The RSS will file an appeal against the Madras High Court order which laid down certain conditions for its rally in Tamil Nadu on November 6.

Madras High court has given permission to conduct the RSS rallies in 44 of the 60 places in Tamil Nadu on November 6. (Representative Image: PTI)

By Akshaya Nath: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Saturday announced that it will not hold its proposed rallies in Tamil Nadu which were scheduled to take place on November 6. The right-wing outfit took the decision after the Madras High Court allowed it to take out the rallies but with certain riders.

The decision was taken in a closed-door video conferencing meeting by the senior leadership of RSS. Making the announcement, the RSS said that it will not hold the route marches in the state on November 6 as the Madras High Court laid down certain conditions which were “not acceptable” to them.

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“In the ruling given yesterday (November 4), the court saying the procession should be held in indoor stadiums or within four walls is not acceptable to us,” R Vanniarajan, president, RSS South Zone said in a press conference.

The Madras High Court has given permission to conduct the RSS rallies in 44 of the 60 places in the detailed order. However, the court has given permission only for rallies inside a closed stadium or ground.

Vanniarajan also said that an appeal would be preferred against the single-judge order.

“The judgment was delivered by the high court yesterday. Initially it was said that permission was given for 44 places and it was deferred in 6 places. When we saw the order, we came to know that in all the 44 places, permission was given inside closed premises or a stadium and for such events permission is not needed,” Rabu Manohar, the advocate representing RSS said.

“We have been conducting route marches in public places for the last 98 years and only when we go to public places, we need permission from the government. Even in states like Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal and Kerala, permission for route marches has been granted. We are checking which forum we have to move the appeal as it is a contempt petition order,” Manohar said.

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The Madras High Court had ruled that the RSS cannot hold the route march in six locations where the situation is not conductive. These places are Coimbatore, Mettupalayam and Pollachi; Palladam in Tiruppur district, Arumanai in Kanniyakumari and Nagercoil.

Apart from restricting marches at six places, the court also said that nobody shall either sing songs or speak ill of any individual, caste and religion during the programme.The participants have also been asked not to bring any stick, lathi or weapon that may cause injury to any one.