State govt will contest HC order, says CM Siddaramaiah

THe say authorities testament dispute the heights court’ interim stay on the government order mandating prior permissions for all public events in government-owned and public spaces.Speaking to reporters after the Tuesday hearing, chief minister Siddaramaiah confirmed the plan to appeal the order. “We will file an appeal petition against the judgement,” he said, adding that his administration intended to defend its authority to regulate public events on state-owned land.The order, presented earlier this month, was presented as a measure to maintain law and order and streamline the use of public property. However, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged it was a thinly veiled attempt to restrict the activities of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), owing to the fact that it was passed amid state minister Priyank Kharge’s sustained criticism of the RSS and its perceived influence on people.Home minister G. Parameshwara said that the government would file the appeal before a division bench. He denied that the ruling was a setback for the state.The BJP, however, celebrated the court’s decision as a blow to what it termed an alleged attempt to stifle democratic rights. Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra issued a strongly worded statement, calling the stay “a tribute to the dignity of the Constitution and democracy.”“The order of the state high court, which has issued an injunction against the Congress government’s directive aimed solely at suppressing the activities of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, is a tribute to the dignity of the Constitution and democracy,” Vijayendra said.Vijayendra added that the party’s present actions reflected its old habits.“The emergency of the 1970s has left dark days etched in the pages of the nation’s history, and the Congress, still following the shadow of that emergency, has mastered the art of committing atrocities on democracy, disrespecting the Constitution, and flaunting authoritarian tendencies whenever it comes to power,” he said.While the political battle plays out in court, tensions have also surfaced on the ground in Kalaburagi district, where a proposed RSS procession in Chittapur on November 2 has divided community groups.The district administration convened a peace meeting on Tuesday to discuss security and logistics, but the talks ended in chaos after Dalit organisations demanded that RSS participants march without carrying lathis.“The RSS delegation rejected the demand, saying it was part of their traditional uniform, resulting in heated exchanges. The meeting was adjourned abruptly, and police had to escort RSS representatives out of the venue amid growing anger from Dalit groups,” said an official in the know of the development.Dalit organisations, including the Bhim Army, have since warned that they will organise protest marches if their demand is not accepted.“If the administration allows the procession with lathis, we will take our agitation to the streets,” one representative reportedly said during the meeting.The issue remains before the Kalaburagi Bench of the High Court, which had earlier instructed the district administration to hold the peace meeting and submit a report.The court is expected to take up the matter on October 30, when it will decide whether the proposed RSS procession can go ahead as planned.