Madras High Court allows RSS route marches on October 25, November 1

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday permitted the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to hold route marches, reiterating that the Tamil Nadu police cannot deny permission for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) route marches citing the presence of religious structures and traffic congestion as a reason.

Upon assurance from the state government that permission would be granted for marches scheduled on October 25 and November 1, the court closed the petition.

Justice V Lakshminarayanan closed the petition after Advocate General Vijay Narayan assured the court that the police would decide on the applications by October 19, after considering the organisers' representations and the details furnished by them.

The court was hearing the petition filed by RSS North Tamil Nadu state secretary VG Jagadeesan seeking permission to conduct route marches followed by public meetings across the state on October 18, October 25 and November 1, 2026.

Jagadeesan contended that despite submitting a representation to the DGP on October 3, seeking directions to all police commissioners and superintendents of police to grant permission for the marches, no directions were issued.

During the hearing, the Advocate General submitted that the processions scheduled for October 25 and November 1 could be held, subject to modifications suggested by the police based on local conditions.

Directing the police not to reject applications citing the presence of religious structures, traffic congestion or the existence of organisations with differing views, the court cautioned against delaying decisions on applications.

The court also urged RSS to submit its applications well in advance, observing that the organisers were aware of the date of Vijayadashami.