Permission must for namaz, public events; applies equally to RSS: Priyank Kharge

Karnataka minister for rural development, IT and BT Priyank Kharge on Monday said prior permission is mandatory for conducting namaz or any other event on public grounds, emphasising that the rule applies equally to all organisations — including the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

“In our order, no organisation, religion, or caste has been mentioned. Even I, you (media), and everyone else must obtain permission. That’s it. The rule is the same, whether it is (former minister) K.N. Rajanna or (BJP state president) B.Y. Vijayendra making a remark,” Kharge told reporters in Bengaluru.

Kharge’s clarification comes amid renewed tensions between the Karnataka government and the RSS over permissions for pathsanchalan (foot marches) across the state.

The controversy began in early October when district administrations denied permission for several RSS marches, citing law and order concerns. In response, the organisation accused the Congress government of “selective targeting”.

Earlier this month, the state had made it mandatory for all private groups — religious or political — to seek prior approval before using public spaces for events. BJP and RSS leaders criticised the move, calling it “discriminatory”, while Congress leaders argued that it was a neutral measure to ensure public safety.

Former minister K.N. Rajanna, part of the same government, had also questioned the practicality of the rule, asking why similar restrictions were not enforced on public namaz gatherings.

Addressing reporters, Kharge said the order had been misunderstood and politicised. “In our order making it mandatory for private organisations to obtain permission for holding events in public places, the name of no organisation has been mentioned. Then why this confusion?” he asked.

The minister accused the RSS of defying the rule and refusing to provide official documents.

“For the first time in the country, we are facing a peculiar situation where leaders are openly declaring that they will not follow the law and are organising pathsanchalan. They (RSS) are refusing to provide documents to prove they are a registered body. When asked who should be held accountable, they don’t answer,” he said. “They insist on holding events despite refusal. One of their members even issued threats. Not a single leader condemned it.”

Kharge went on to criticise BJP leaders for failing to speak out against provocative acts and rhetoric.

“When a shoe was hurled at the Chief Justice of India (CJI), no BJP leader condemned it. When one of their leaders claimed that ‘desh bhakts might enter our homes', not a single BJP leader objected,” he said. “I pity the BJP. First, they give tickets to persons facing 20 to 30 cases, and then such people make threatening remarks. We will not do this. Our ideologies may differ, but no one has the right to threaten someone’s family.”

Kharge said he had no objection to the RSS holding a pathsanchalan in Chittapur, his own Assembly segment, as long as due process was followed.

“Let them hold the foot march in Chittapur, they are welcome. This is not the first time they are organising such an event. The court has stated that they must submit an application, and a decision will be taken based on the situation. Is it wrong to ask for details of their programmes?” he asked.

He added that three other applications for marches on 19 October were also rejected on similar grounds. “This rule applies to everyone. I am not targeting anyone. They had also asked to carry sticks — what should the government do in such cases?” he said.

Kharge criticised the Central government’s decision to allow government employees to participate in RSS activities. “The Central government has passed a law allowing government employees to participate in RSS activities. But as a state government, we do not agree. The service rules of the Centre and the states are different,” he said.

Responding to Union minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s remarks defending the RSS, Kharge pointed to the Janata Dal (Secular)’s earlier opposition to the organisation.

“Kumaraswamy himself had written an editorial in a leading Kannada daily calling the RSS poison. Let JD(S) leaders read it first. Former Prime Minister Deve Gowda had demanded a ban on the RSS and ABVP. What has changed now? JD(S) does not stand for secular,” he said. “Let BJP leaders first send their children to protect cows and enrol them in RSS branches before making tall claims.”

Kharge accused his political opponents of deflecting rather than answering basic questions about the RSS’s status.

“They have spoken about my wife and her health, my brother and his health, and even about my father. Yet, they are not ready to answer one simple question — why are they not providing documents of registration?” he asked. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself has praised the RSS as the biggest NGO in the world. We are simply asking questions about the organisation.”

The minister concluded that the order was not aimed at any single group. “Even in my letter seeking a ban on RSS activities in public places, I mentioned other organisations along with RSS. The order covers all organisations equally,” he clarified.

The dispute reflects a growing political flashpoint in Karnataka, where the Congress government has been tightening oversight of public gatherings, citing law and order. The RSS, which traditionally holds pathsanchalans during Vijayadashami and other events, has accused the state of “curbing Hindu organisations”.

With the state already witnessing tensions over issues such as hijab restrictions, textbook revisions, and communal incidents, the debate over permissions has once again brought questions of secular governance, political consistency, and freedom of assembly into the spotlight.

With IANS inputs