Chennai: With the DMK government deciding not to allow the route march of the RSS on October 2, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanthi, the Sangh has been forced to knock at the doors of the judiciary on Thursday with a contempt petition. The High Court had earlier last week directed the state police to grant permission for the event to be held in about 50 places, subject to conditions.
However, the DMK's allies – VCK, Left Parties, and DK among others - planning a state-wide Human Chain on the same day to counter the RSS, the government has refused to permit both, citing a grave threat to law and order as well as the apprehension of communal strife.
The State Police has also filed a review plea, submitting that allowing the route march in the wake of the violence preceding the ban on the PFI and the potential for communal disturbance in its aftermath. Both the petitions are expected to come up for hearing on Friday.
While the RSS was hopeful of securing police permission following the order passed by a single Judge, the denial of permission across the state was not expected. Initially, a few communally sensitive districts like Coimbatore, Vellore, Ramanathapuram, and Tiruvallur declined the nod to hold the marches. The RSS has been flexing its muscle of late and is attempting to expand its footprint in the state wedded to Dravidian ideology. The sang's shakas have increased in numbers and its Pracharaks have penetrated into Dalit and tribal areas as well.
It is known that the DMK, carrying the legacy of the erstwhile non-brahmin movement and Justice Party, and the Sangh Parivar are ideologically poles apart. Hence, the DMK could not be expected to yield political space to the RSS, the ideological mentor of the BJP. And, caught between its allies and the RSS, the DMK government had decided to be even-handed but not before the former announced the Human Chain which was gaining support from various outfits.
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No sooner than Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan gave the go-ahead for the marches, the allies of the DMK raised an alarm and demanded that the government file a review petition. Dalit leader and VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan, MP, then announced the Human Chain program and enlisted the support of the Left Parties, Muslim Parties, and Tamil Nationalist groups besides civil society organizations. He filed a review plea in the High Court, which was not entertained by a Division Bench on the ground that only the Supreme Court is vested with criminal jurisdiction for appeals.
For the police, the spate of molotov cocktail attacks on local Sangh Parivar functionaries following the raids on the PFI and the subsequent proscription of the outfit has come in handy to deny permission for any communal mobilization.
The ruling DMK is maintaining that denial of permission for the RSS route march was taken to maintain law and order. “The Chief Minister is focused on maintaining law and order so that no section of society is affected. He is very kindhearted, but at the same time will put down mischief mongers with an iron hand. Creating disturbance and fomenting communal tension is not the Dravidian model of governance,” State HR&CE minister PK Sekar Babu told the media in response to a question. While the minister is playing it safe, all eyes are on the outcome of the court hearing.
