The High Court has given a big blow to the Karnataka government’s decision to ban the branches and programs of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The court immediately put a stay on the government’s order and asked who gave them the right to crush constitutional rights? A bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna temporarily stayed the order of the Hubli Police Commissioner and the state government, which had declared the gathering of more than 10 people without permission as a crime.
In the government order issued on October 18, it was clearly stated that gathering crowd in parks, roads or playgrounds without permission is a crime and strict action will be taken. But the High Court rejected it outright. The court’s question was – Does the government feel that it is above the Constitution?
The High Court clearly said that under Articles 19(1)(A) and 19(1)(B) of the Constitution, every citizen has the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. The government cannot interfere in these rights. The court asked where did the right to stop the peaceful activities of RSS come from? At present, the next hearing of the case is pending, but this interim relief has given a big victory to the RSS.
BJP MP Tejashwi Surya called it a conspiracy by Congress. He said that all these steps are being taken at the behest of Priyank Kharge. Surya claims that RSS always works in a peaceful manner, be it a shakha or a procession. Here, the Karnataka Cabinet had passed an order to ban RSS, considering gathering at government places without permission as a crime.
The root of this entire controversy is the letter of Priyank Kharge, in which he had demanded CM Siddaramaiah to ban the activities of RSS. BJP called it political vendetta. In response, Congress gave an old reference – in 2013, the BJP government had also given the same order that school premises and sports grounds would be used only for educational purposes. But the question is, do old mistakes justify new mistakes?
