Kalaburagi: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has faced a setback after the Kalaburagi Bench of the Karnataka High Court deferred the hearing on its petition seeking permission to conduct a route march (path sanchalan) in Chittapur on November 2. The court directed the state government to review the law-and-order situation and submit a detailed report by October 30 before any decision is made.

During the hearing, Advocate General Shashikiran Shetty, representing the government, informed the court that both the District Collector and the Superintendent of Police had raised concerns about possible traffic congestion and public inconvenience during the proposed rally. Their reports suggested that the march could disturb public order and advised postponing it until the situation normalizes.

The Advocate General emphasized that the government had not rejected RSS’s plea outright but kept it pending. He further said that several other organizations, including Bhim Army and others, had also applied for permission to hold processions on the same day, leading to potential administrative challenges.

Senior Advocate Arun Shyam, appearing for the RSS, objected to the state’s stance, arguing that holding the rally is a constitutional right and that the state cannot indefinitely delay permission. He suggested that if the local administration was incapable of maintaining order, central security forces could be deployed to ensure peace during the procession.

The High Court observed that the administration must demonstrate its capacity to handle such situations and directed officials to convene a peace meeting with representatives of all organizations on October 28. The report of this meeting is to be submitted by October 30, after which the court will issue its order.

With the hearing postponed and multiple organizations vying for permission to conduct processions on the same day, uncertainty continues to loom over the RSS march in Chittapur.