Karnataka home minister Priyank Kharge has asked the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to obtain formal police clearance for its Vijayadashami route marches in Bengaluru on October 25, arguing that letters notifying the authorities of the planned events do not constitute permission to hold them.
“My dearest Swayamsevaks of the RSS, Hope the Dasara festivities are in full swing! Not to be a wet blanket, but a gentle reminder, merely “informing” or telling the Home Department to “cooperate” or “make necessary arrangements” is not the same as obtaining permission,” Kharge said in a post on Tuesday.
Kharge shared two communications from RSS units in Bengaluru, questioning whether they met the requirements for seeking approval for processions scheduled for October 25.
The first informed authorities of a proposed march from the Apollo National School ground in Chowdeshwari Nagar, Laggere, while the second was in connection with a procession in Mahalakshmi Layout.
The communications notified the police of the proposed routes and sought their cooperation in making arrangements.
Kharge asked the RSS, the ideological fount of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), to file applications in the prescribed format, furnish the necessary details and wait for approval from the competent authorities.
Pointing to the RSS’s Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha Annual Report 2025–26, which stated that the outfit conducted 562 route marches involving over 221,000 uniformed participants across Karnataka, Kharge said the police would need time to prepare.
“Now, when lakhs of you intend to march through Karnataka’s streets on single day at the same time, the Police Department has considerable preparations to make: deployment of personnel, transportation, food, traffic management, security arrangements and other logistics. All of this requires planning, manpower and public resources,” he said.
“So, please fill out the prescribed application form, provide the necessary details and await formal permission.”
BJP spokesperson S Prakash responded, citing a Madras high court’s ruling that allowed RSS route marches in Tamil Nadu.
“Dear minister, hope you have read the Madras High Court observation. If you want to avoid such embarrassment, keep off RSS prog. Just a suggestion,” Prakash said on X, responding to the minister.
On October 16, the Madras high court permitted the RSS to conduct route marches across Tamil Nadu on October 25 and November 1 after the state police rejected the requests. The court also told the police to help applicants meet procedural requirements instead of looking for reasons to reject requests. The court also told the RSS to submit applications well in advance.
The latest exchange is part of an ongoing face-off between the Congress government in Karnataka and the RSS over the organisation’s legal status, funding, and use of public property. In June, Priyank Kharge wrote to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat seeking details of its registration, finances, office bearers and legal identity, drawing a rebuttal from the organisation and BJP leaders. The dispute intensified after the government restricted RSS activities on public premises and the Cabinet cleared a Bill in August 2026 requiring prior permission for events and processions on government property.