TN govt denies permission for RSS route march, restricts VCK protest; Sangh moves HC
Chennai, Sep 29: The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday denied permission to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to take out its route march on October 2 in the state and also declined nod for a counter agitation planned by the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) on the same day.
The saffron organisation moved the Madras High Court with a contempt plea against senior state government officials, incliuding the Home Secretary, a day after it served legal notice to them on the matter.
The state government, citing law and order issues due to protests by certain groups in the event of the RSS taking out a route march on Gandhi Jayanthi (Oct 2), refused permission.
The government had conveyed to it not to proceed with its plan, a senior RSS leader said.
"Our's is a peaceful march and the Madras High Court has already granted permission. We will approach the issue legally," he told PTI.
The government has also denied permission to VCK, CPI and CPI(M), all allies of the ruling DMK, to hold a human chain protest on October 2.
The RSS later filed a contempt application in the Madras High Court, seeking to punish the Tamil Nadu Home Secretary Phanindra Reddy and Director General of Police C Sylendra Babu for not implementing the court's September 22 order, which directed them to permit the local units of the RSS to take out 'route march' and later hold a public meeting on Sunday.
The application will come up before Justice G K Ilanthiraiyan tomorrow.
The judge granted permission to RSS advocate B Rabu Manohar to file the contempt petition, when the latter made a mention to this effect. If it is numbered and other formalities completed, he will hear it tomorrow, the judge added.
Accordingly, Manohar filed the petition later in the day. It sought to punish Reddy, DGP Sylendra Babu and Tiruvallur district SP Pakerla Cephas Kalyan for having committed contempt of the September 22 order passed on the writ petition filed by R Karthikeyan of Kakkaloor, joint secretary of the Tiruvallur RSS unit.
According to petitioner, by the common order passed on September 22 on a batch of writ petitions, Justice Ilanthiraiyan had directed the three authorities to grant permission, on or before September 28, to carry out the processions and to hold public meetings on October 2 at places mentioned in the representations based on the conditions laid down by the judge. However, in gross violation of this order, the authorities passed the rejection order on September 28.
The interim prayer is to permit the RSS to take out the route marches and hold public meetings on October 2.
Manohar had earlier issued legal notice to Reddy, Babu, Kalyan and a local inspector of police, asking why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them for disobeying the court order.
Meanwhile, a petition by VCK leader and Lok Sabha MP Thol Thirumavalan seeking a recall of the HC's September 22 order allowing the RSS events is likely to come up for hearing on Friday.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
