Vijayadashami route march: Kharge asks RSS to seek formal permission

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 merely informing the authorities does not amount to seeking permission to hold an event.

Taking to X, the Home Minister said: “Addressing “my dearest Swayamsevaks of the RSS”, “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.”

He urged the organisation to submit an application in accordance with the prescribed procedure applicable to all organisations and await formal approval from the competent authorities. “I am sure you have read your own Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha Annual Report 2025–26, which states that the RSS conducted 562 route marches across Karnataka, involving 2,21,963 uniformed participants. Now, when lakhs of your members intend to march through Karnataka’s streets on a single day at the same time, the police have considerable preparations to make: deployment of personnel, transportation, food, traffic management, security arrangements and other logistics,” he said.

He stated that all of this requires planning, manpower and public resources, and so the organisation should “fill out the prescribed application form, provide the necessary details and await formal permission.”

He also shared two communications from the RSS in this regard on X. While one informed authorities of a proposed march from the Apollo National School ground in Chowdeshwari Nagar, Laggere, the second was in connection with the proposed march in Mahalakshmi Layout.

Last year’s debate

Mr. Kharge and the RSS have been at loggerheads in the past as well, with the former raising questions over the membership pattern, funding and legal status of the organisation. In June, Mr. Kharge wrote to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat seeking details of its registration, finances, office-bearers, and legal identity. This had drawn a sharp response from BJP leaders.

He had also questioned the RSS using public premises in the context of events held to mark 100 years of RSS last year. The denial of permission for route march at Chittapur in Kalaburagi district, Mr. Kharge’s constituency, had become contentious. The march was eventually held in November, 2025, with conditions in place, after the court intervened.

The Cabinet cleared a Bill in August which mandates prior permission for events and processions on government property.