Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge tells RSS that police notice is not a march permit
Kharge urged the RSS to file a formal application for its Vijayadashami procession scheduled for Oct 25 in Bengaluru.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Bengaluru – Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Thursday said a letter circulating on social media that informs the police of a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Vijayadashami march does not constitute official permission.
What happened
The letter, written in Kannada and bearing a police‑station stamp, was addressed to the traffic inspector of Nandini Layout police station in the Bangalore North division. It outlines a Vijayadashami "path sanchalan" planned for Sunday, 25 October, from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm. The procession is to start at 9:30 am from Apollo National School Ground in Chowdeshwari Nagar and follow a ten‑point route that includes Srinivasa Temple Road, Pipeline Bridge, SVS School Road and Ram Mandir Road. The circulated copy redacted the names of RSS organisers.
What the reports add
- Both New Indian Express pieces note that the police‑station stamp likely only acknowledges receipt and does not confirm that permission was granted.
- The longer report mentions that the letter closes with a "request" for the police’s "attention".
- Kharge cited the RSS’s own Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha annual report for 2025‑26, which records 562 route marches in Karnataka involving 2,21,963 uniformed participants.
- A former police commissioner, speaking to the newspaper, confirmed that permission for any route march is normally sought and granted at the police‑station level.
- Police sources reiterated that the law requires any procession to obtain permission so that deployment, transport, food, traffic and security can be planned using public resources.
What was said
"informing" the Home Department or asking it to “co‑operate” is not obtaining permission," Kharge wrote in an X post addressed to the "dearest Swayamsevaks" with a Dasara greeting.
He urged the organisation to file an application through the prescribed procedure open to all groups and wait for formal approval.
How it came about
The circulation of the letter sparked a social‑media debate about whether the RSS had secured the necessary clearance for its procession. Kharge’s response follows his earlier statements on state‑level initiatives, such as his push for Karnataka to capture half of India’s space market, reported by Felo News on 7 October (Karnataka aims for half of India’s space market, 5% globally, says IT minister).
Key facts
- The RSS planned a Vijayadashami march in Bengaluru on 25 Oct from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm. (newindianexpress.com)
- The march route starts at Apollo National School Ground and passes through ten points including Srinivasa Temple Road. (newindianexpress.com)
- Home Minister Priyank Kharge said a police‑station notice is not the same as a permission to march. (newindianexpress.com)
- Kharge urged the RSS to file a formal application through the prescribed procedure. (newindianexpress.com)
