The Madras High Court on Sunday permitted the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to conduct route marches at 128 locations across Tamil Nadu on October 25 and November 2, allowing the organisation to proceed with processions that the state government had earlier declined to authorise.
Chennai venues, timings
In the city and its suburbs, the organisation has identified seven locations for Sunday’s marches: Tiruvottiyur, Kolathur, Egmore, Korattur, Ayyappanthangal, Medavakkam and Chromepet. Specific start points and times announced by the RSS include the following:
- The Egmore procession is scheduled to begin near the Ramada Hotel at 4 p.m. and conclude near Rajarathinam Stadium, where a public meeting will follow.
- The Kolathur march will commence at 3 p.m. near the Kamaraj statue at Peravallur.
- For other Chennai venues, participants are to assemble at the designated locations announced by the organisation prior to the start of the marches.
| Location | Start point (as announced) | Start time |
|---|---|---|
| Egmore | Near Ramada Hotel | 4 p.m. |
| Kolathur | Kamaraj statue, Peravallur | 3 p.m. |
| Tiruvottiyur | Designated venue (as announced) | As announced |
| Korattur | Designated venue (as announced) | As announced |
| Ayyappanthangal | Designated venue (as announced) | As announced |
| Medavakkam | Designated venue (as announced) | As announced |
| Chromepet | Designated venue (as announced) | As announced |
Court order and legal background
The High Court’s permission followed a petition filed by the RSS State secretary, Jagadeeshan, after the state government under Chief Minister Vijay had refused approval for the proposed events. The petition sought judicial clearance to hold the processions as part of the organisation’s programme for Vijayadashami.
The court allowed the marches at the 128 locations on the two specified dates. The RSS had sought permission for a statewide programme as part of its centenary-related activities; the organisation was founded on Vijayadashami in 1925 and completed 100 years in 2025. The festival day carries particular organisational significance because it marks the RSS’s founding, and annual observances traditionally include processions of uniformed volunteers followed by public gatherings where speakers address attendees.
Public-order and civic implications
The decision is likely to have implications for policing and traffic management across the state, particularly at identified urban centres. Route marches typically require deployment of police personnel to ensure safety, regulate movement and manage counter-protests where they arise. In Chennai, the combination of afternoon start times and concluding public meetings is expected to affect local traffic and public transport on the routes mapped out by the RSS.
The RSS says route marches have been organised in Tamil Nadu for about seven decades, but permissions for such events have periodically become the subject of disagreement between the organisation and state authorities. The High Court order thus settles a short-term legal contest over the eventsscheduled for Sunday and again on November 2.
What residents and commuters should note
- Commuters on the routes linking the start and end points in Chennai should expect traffic delays from mid-afternoon on the dates announced.
- Authorities may impose temporary traffic diversions and set up pick-up points for stranded passengers; residents are advised to follow local police advisories.
- Participants will assemble at designated points before the marches begin; the RSS has released venue details for Chennai locations and said public meetings will follow the processions.
The court order and the planned processions come against a background of judicial intervention in matters of assembly and state regulation of public processions. The immediate focus will be on how police and civic bodies implement crowd-management plans and whether any appeals or further litigation follow the High Court’s clearance.
The article is based on reporting that the Madras High Court has permitted the RSS to hold processions at 128 locations on October 25 and November 2, and on the programme details for Chennai published by the organisation.
