The Supreme Court on March 27 reserved its judgment in a dispute between Tamil Nadu government and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on the conduct of route marches across the State.
Appearing before a Bench led by Justice V. Ramasubramanian, the Tamil Nadu government said there is no absolute right even as there is no absolute ban to hold processions.
“Is there a vested right to march across the India Gate or the Supreme Court? Can there be an absolute right to hold processions wherever an organisation wants?” senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Tamil Nadu, asked the court.
On the other hand, the Sangh stressed the right to hold peaceful assemblies in public spaces.
The State government has remained circumspect about giving a carte blanche permission. It had recently cited how rumour-mongering had triggered panic among Hindi-speaking workers in Tamil Nadu.
The State had filed a special leave petition in the apex court against a September 22, 2022 order of the Single Judge of the Madras High Court allowing RSS to conduct route marches. The Single Judge had in November imposed some conditions for the route march.
Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, who appeared for the RSS on March 3, said the State cannot stop an organisation from holding peaceful marches for apprehensions about a banned outfit.
