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News18 has accessed details of the Sangh’s proposal submitted to the Advocate-General, which included details of number of volunteers, proposed route, and parking arrangements
Chittapur has been a hotbed of conflict between the RSS and the elected MLA from the seat, Congress minister Priyank Kharge, who has been seeking a ban on Sangh activities in the state. (PTI)
The issue surrounding the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) seeking permission to conduct a ‘patha sanchalan’ (route march) in Chittapur is still inconclusive, News18 has learnt.
The RSS unit of Chittapur in Kalaburagi district has assured the Karnataka government that it has instructed its volunteers from the neighbouring taluks not to attend the route march and only those from Chittapur will participate “in the interest of public peace and maintenance of law and order”.
The assurance has been given by the RSS in its proposal, which includes almost half-a-dozen such points that the Sangh team has presented to the state’s advocate general, Shashikiran Shetty, who had called the peace meeting as per the directions of the Kalaburagi bench of the Karnataka High Court.
The matter reached the high court because the Kalburgi district administration had denied permission for the route march in Chittapur as it apprehended a law and order situation with several other organisations seeking to take out processions at the same time.
The state government is yet to make its stand clear after consultations with the Advocate-General on whether the route march will be allowed or not.
Chittapur has been a hotbed of conflict between the RSS and the elected MLA from the seat, Congress minister Priyank Kharge, who has been seeking a ban on Sangh activities in the state.
RSS Submits Seven-Point Proposal
Sources told News18 that the RSS had submitted a seven-point proposal (which News18 has accessed) to the Advocate-General, outlining how it plans to conduct the march, depending on whether the courts grant permission for the event.
The document states that the march would be restricted to RSS volunteers from Chittapur taluk alone, with around 600-850 swayamsevaks expected to participate. It also specifies that volunteers from neighbouring taluks and the district headquarters have been instructed not to attend the event “in the interest of public peace and maintenance of law and order”.
Another key point in the RSS submission was that the proposed route for the march covers a stretch of approximately 3 km for which permission is being sought. The RSS clarified that the route does not pass through any sensitive areas and, therefore, there is no likelihood of law-and-order issues.
“It takes approximately 37-45 minutes to complete the route march. Even if the local authorities, out of anxiety, anticipate any untoward incidents at certain places, we are ready to move to the other side of the divider to address such concerns immediately, as the RSS believes in peaceful celebration in accordance with law,” the submission to the Advocate-General stated.
The letter also said arrangements have been made for videography of the entire event, including drone coverage, and that Google Map images of the proposed route have been attached for clarity.
The document, signed by Ashok Patil, Kalaburagi district convenor, further stated: “To ease the job of the police in managing traffic during the route march, the RSS is ready to move in three lines instead of the usual four. We will also depute our own volunteers in ganavesha (uniform) to assist the police in managing traffic en route.”
Route March End Point and Crowd Control
The RSS informed the peace committee that a gathering of volunteers who take part in the march will be held at Balaji Kalyan Mantap towards the end of the event. The gathering will be conducted within the closed compound of the venue, for which the organisation said all necessary permissions have already been obtained and submitted to both the Advocate-General and the court.
It also noted that a designated parking area near Balaji Kalyan Mantap has been arranged for volunteers’ vehicles, with photographs enclosed as proof.
During the meeting with the Advocate-General, the RSS made it clear that “no slogans of any kind will be raised by RSS volunteers which the district administration anticipates could provoke others, except for the use of the RSS ghosh (band) from Kalaburagi, which will lead the march”.
According to the letter, the ghosh or band will consist of volunteers playing flutes, drums, trumpets, and cymbals, performing pre-composed tunes and patriotic songs throughout the procession.
The submission further added: “The RSS neither believes in hurting the sentiments of others nor in disturbing public peace and order. It is the core belief of the organisation to promote brotherhood among all sections of society and ensure the moral and cultural development of citizens guided by the values of this great land.”
Senior advocates Satyanarayan Acharya and Arun Sham argued on behalf of the RSS.
The RSS, through its representatives, also stated that it was prepared to abide by all constitutional and reasonable conditions imposed by the district administration, “without transgressing on the fundamental rights of the RSS volunteers under Articles 19(1) and 21 of the Indian Constitution”.
The peace meeting to discuss the proposed march, however, ended without agreement after sharp differences erupted among participants.
Rising Tensions
Tensions rose when several organisations insisted that the RSS be permitted to hold the patha sanchalan only if its volunteers agreed to set aside their lathis (wooden staffs) and instead carry the national flag and copies of the Constitution’s Preamble.
The meeting, called by the Kalaburagi district administration following directions from the Karnataka High Court, was chaired by Deputy Commissioner Fouzia Taranum. Representatives from 10 organisations, including RSS, Bhim Army, Bharatiya Dalit Panthers, Gonda Kuruba ST Horata Samithi, Karnataka Rajya Chalavadi Kshemabhivruddi Sangha, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, and Hasiru Sene, were among those present.
Sources said the discussions turned heated when the RSS delegation refused to accept the demand to forgo lathis, arguing that they are a traditional and symbolic part of the organisation’s uniform. The RSS maintained that the route march would be carried out “peacefully and within the boundaries of law.” Despite multiple attempts by district officials to mediate, the meeting concluded without consensus, resulting in another deadlock. The district administration is expected to submit a detailed account of the meeting to the Karnataka High Court, which will take a final call on whether the RSS can go ahead with its proposed march in Chittapur.
Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously worked with t…Read More
Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously worked with t… Read More
November 06, 2025, 11:15 IST
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