CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu police cannot deny permission for RSS route marches merely because mosques and Eidgahs were located along the proposed routes, said the Madras High Court, observing that citing such reasons would portray Muslims in a bad light.

VG Jagadeesan, State secretary of RSS’s north Tamil Nadu unit, approached the court seeking permission to conduct route marches followed by public meetings across Tamil Nadu on October 18, October 25, and November 1.

He had submitted a representation to the State police chief on October 3 seeking directions to all Commissioners and Superintendents to grant permission for the marches. However, the DGP had not issued any directions, he said.

When the case came up for hearing again, Justice V Lakshminarayanan took strong objection to the State citing the presence of mosques and Eidgahs along the proposed routes as a reason for denying permission, stating that it would portray Muslims in a bad light.

The judge noted that an Eidgah was for gathering and praying during Ramzan and Bakrid. “You're saying that they (Muslims) will celebrate Ramzan in October? You're giving a bad name to Muslims," the court told the State.

The judge added that it was a matter of agony that the police portrayed the minority community as having issues with the procession. "Citizens' rights cannot be surrendered to the whims and fancies of the police," the judge remarked.

The court pointed out that while laying down detailed guidelines to prevent unnecessary litigation over RSS route marches, Justice G Jayachandran had rejected reasons such as the presence of mosques and churches, possible traffic congestion, and organisations with different ideologies, terming them "lame". However, the State had again cited the same reasons to deny permission, the judge said.

The court directed the petitioner to file an affidavit providing details of the proposed routes, the person in charge, and the participants, along with an undertaking to strictly comply with the court's conditions. It also directed the Advocate General to obtain instructions from the police chief on granting permission after the affidavit was filed.

The court adjourned the hearing to Friday, October 16.