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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear on Friday a plea filed by the Tamil Nadu government against the Madras High Court's order of permitting RSS to conduct a 'route march' across the state from March 5.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi mentioned the matter before a bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha, saying the state government sought to restrict the 'march' and prohibited it in six districts affected by activities of banned outfit PFI and bomb blasts.
He said the 'march' has rescheduled for March 5.
Rohatgi also said, "We took a call, the single judge agreed to our contentions but the division bench permitted it while hearing a contempt petition."
The court granted the plea for urgent hearing on March 3.
In its petition, the state government, through its counsel Dr Joseph Aristotle stated that allowing such a march could cause law and order issue and other problem. The action, initiated by the State is within reasonable restrictions on the fundamental rights under Article 19(2) of the Constitution to maintain public order.
The state government relied upon the intelligence reports containing apprehension for disturbance of public peace following the ban on Popular Front of India in September, 2022.
A two-judge bench of Justice R Mahadevan and Justice Mohammed Shaffiq of the Madras High Court, had earlier this month in its order allowed the RSS plea, and permitted it to conduct a route march.
While allowing RSS to conduct a route march, the HC had noted that the State must uphold the citizens' right to freedom of speech and expression.
The court had also directed the RSS to file fresh applications for carrying out the route March on three different dates. It had also directed the Tamil Nadu police to permit the RSS to take out route marches on any of such dates in various districts across the state on public roads.
The HC had also allowed the RSS members to wear their uniform and play its musical band during the March throughout Tamil Nadu.
