Tamilisai questions Tamil Nadu government over RSS route march permissions
Senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan has criticised successive Tamil Nadu governments for requiring the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to seek judicial intervention to conduct route marches.
Speaking to reporters during an RSS procession in Egmore, Chennai, on Sunday, she argued that the organisation should be recognised for its service activities and allowed to hold events without unnecessary legal hurdles.
Her comments coincided with RSS marches held at multiple locations across Tamil Nadu to mark the organisation’s centenary. The events followed a Madras High Court order permitting processions at 128 locations.
Soundararajan questioned the government’s reliance on law-and-order concerns when deciding whether to grant permission for the marches. She contrasted the restrictions placed on the RSS with what she described as the free movement of people involved in criminal activities.
She also took aim at political figures, including VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan and CPI(M) leader Shanmugam, accusing them of portraying the RSS negatively.
Arguing that the organisation’s role had been misrepresented in Tamil Nadu, the BJP leader called on the state government to adopt a more supportive approach and grant permission for future RSS activities through the regular administrative process.
Her remarks have brought renewed attention to the continuing political debate surrounding RSS processions and their regulation in the state.