'Not Against Muslims': RSS Marches Across Karnataka Amid Permission Row
Defying intense administrative friction and political sparring over jurisdictional clearances, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) conducted its annual route marches (Path Sanchalan) across multiple districts in Karnataka on Sunday under strict police vigilance. The demonstrations unfolded against the backdrop of an escalating showdown between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the state's ruling Congress administration, with opposition figures accusing the Siddaramaiah government of deliberately harassing the cultural organization by delaying or withholding administrative approvals. From early morning, battalions of police personnel were deployed along designated march routes across major urban hubs to maintain law and order, as uniformed volunteers (swayamsevaks) spanning multiple generations marched in rhythmic cadence to musical bands, reaffirming the organization’s grassroots footprint across the southern state.
High-Profile Turnout in Bengaluru: R. Ashoka and Ex-Top Cop Join Marches in Jayanagar and Chamarajpet
In the state capital of Bengaluru, massive processions were carried out through key neighborhoods including Jayanagar and Chamarajpet, drawing hundreds of children, youth, and senior citizens dressed in the organization’s traditional attire. Several prominent political figures joined the ranks, including Karnataka Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, and former Bengaluru Police Commissioner turned BJP leader Bhaskar Rao. Participants offered floral tributes to portraits of "Bharat Mata" (Mother India) at assembly grounds before traversing major arterial stretches. While processions proceeded peacefully across Bengaluru and Kalaburagi, the scheduled route march in Tumakuru had to be deferred to November 1 due to administrative restrictions linked to the upcoming Legislative Council elections, with organizers similarly resetting alternative dates in several other constituencies experiencing procedural hold-ups.
Pralhad Joshi Slams Kharge in Hubli: Denies Anti-Muslim Bias and Questions Election Code Curbs
In northern Karnataka's commercial center of Hubli, thousands of volunteers converged for a massive demonstration joined by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and Hubli-Dharwad Central MLA Mahesh Tenginkai. Addressing the gathering, Joshi strongly rebutted accusations that the Sangh Parivar harbors animosity toward religious minorities, asserting unequivocally that neither the RSS nor the BJP is against the Muslim community. Launching a sharp political offensive against Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge, the Union Minister accused the Congress leadership of indulging in blatant vote-bank appeasement while using the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) as a pretext to deny or delay public event permissions. Questioning the administrative justification for blocking peaceful cultural drills, Joshi argued that fundamental civic rights were being suppressed under bureaucratic pretexts, fueling an ongoing political and ideological standoff across Karnataka.
