Madras High Court permits RSS rally at 44 places in Tamil Nadu

The Madras High Court on Friday directed the Tamil Nadu police to permit the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to take out its "route marches" and hold public meetings at 44 places in the state on November 6. Justice G K Ilanthiraiyan gave the direction, after pulling up the police department for refusing permission for the rally at 47 places in the state, relying wholly on the intelligence report, which restricted its findings with regard to very few places in Tamil Nadu.

The report contained the FIRs registered in some places more than a decade ago, that too on the reports published in newspapers and magazines, based on certain outfits, the judge pointed out.

"I do not find any material for the denial of permission to hold the rally in all the 47 places," the judge said.

The judge, however, said that the rally cannot be allowed to be taken out at six places in the State, where the situation is not conducive. The six places are: Coimbatore, Mettupalayam and Pollachi (Coimbatore dt), Palladam in Tiruppur district, Arumanai in Kanniyakumari and Nagercoil.

The RSS sought permission to hold the events in 50 places across the state.