CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday directed Tamil Nadu Police to provide permission for the RSS route march on November 6 instead of October 2, as per an earlier order of the court, and warned of contempt action if the order is not followed.
After intense arguments between the government side and the RSS counsels on a contempt of court petition moved by the latter following rejection of permission to the event by Thiruvallur town police inspector, Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan passed the latest order.
When the State, represented by senior counsel and Rajya Sabha Member NR Elango and State Public Prosecutor (SPP) Hasan Mohammed Jinnah, expressed the difficulties and prevailing law and order situation in the wake of the ban of the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its aftermath, the judge asked the petitioner to suggest some day other than October 2.
Later, he directed the Police to grant permission for the RSS route march on November 6 instead of October 2, Gandhi Jayanthi Day.
The police was ordered to grant the permission by October 31.
Beginning the arguments, senior counsel S Prabakaran representing RSS, stressed that once the court passed an order it should be implemented and violation of such order amounted to contempt of court.
Rejection of permission by the Police amounts to mockery of judiciary and the authority of judiciary cannot be undermined, he said.
NL Raja, another counsel for RSS, questioned how could RSS be prevented from celebrating the birth anniversary of Gandhi.
Citing intelligence inputs and alerts shared by the Central intelligence agencies, Elango said such inputs cannot be ignored given the emerging situation after the ban on PFI and connected developments thereafter.
He said RSS was not prevented from celebrating Gandhi Jayanthi and even other organisations and political parties were also denied permission for holding any events on the particular day apprehending law and order problems.
Explaining the context, in which, the RSS was denied permission for holding the route march, the SPP said that about 52,000 police personnel have been on the roads to protect the life and properties of the people since September 22.
It may be recalled that Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan on September 22 granted permission for the RSS route march at about fifty places in Tamil Nadu subject to various conditions. However, Thiruvallur town police had rejected permission to the organisation for the event. Subsequently, R Karthikeyan, joint secretary of Thiruvallur RSS, filed the contempt of court petition on Thursday.