Syed Ali Mujtaba

Chennai: Tamil Nadu government is likely to go for an appeal against the Madras High Court order that granted permission to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to take out processions at 51 places throughout Tamil Nadu on October 2.

Justice G K Ilanthiraiyan, September 23 who granted the permission, directed the State government to allow the RSS cadre to take out the procession with stringent conditions to maintain law and order.

The RSS cadres will wear their uniform and they will be led by a musical band and conduct public meetings thereafter. The organizers are yet to submit the procession routes.

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Several political leaders in the state have expressed unhappiness over the Madras High Court order, as they believed that the RSS’ aim was to disrupt the peace and harmony in Tamil Nadu.

The most vocal among all is M.H. Jawahirullah, an MLA from Ramanathapuram and President of Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK party) allied with the ruling DMK.

Jawahirullah said, “It would be a historical blunder if the RSS takes out a procession on Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday in Tamil Nadu. The state government must appeal against the Madras High Court’s decision to allow the RSS cadres to take out processions on October 2 at over 50 locations in the State.”

“Tamil Nadu is serving as an example of social harmony and peace in India. The RSS procession will disturb it,” he said and added “the State government has the responsibility to ensure that Tamil Nadu remains a peaceful State. Therefore it must appeal against the decision to allow the procession as it is the RSS which is responsible for religious polarization and violence at several places across India.”

Congress MP Jothimani expressed similar concerns: “It is unfortunate that the High Court has allowed the RSS ideology that assassinated Mahatma Gandhi to take out a procession on his birth anniversary. We must firmly oppose any attempt to disrupt the peace, unity, and harmony of Tamil Nadu,” he said on his Twitter account.

Similarly, Seeman the chief of Naam Tamilar Katchi also reacted against the High Court order allowing the RSS procession at several places in the state.

According to RSS sources, the march is carried out due to three reasons: to commemorate the founding day of the RSS, the Vijayadashami festival (when the RSS was founded in 1925), B R Ambedkar’s 125th birth anniversary, and the 75th year of India’s Independence.

The Madras High Court has said the permission will be granted on the conditions imposed by the police before September 28.

When the local police were approached to comment about the permission granted to the RSS, there was no response from them to date.