Bengaluru, Oct 20 — Karnataka Minister for Home, e-Governance, Electronics, IT and Biotechnology Priyank Kharge on Tuesday urged the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to follow the prescribed procedure and obtain formal permission from the competent authorities before conducting route marches in the state on the occasion of Vijayadashami.
The move is likely to trigger a controversy.
In a statement addressed to RSS volunteers, Kharge said that merely informing the Home Department or asking it to cooperate and make necessary arrangements did not amount to obtaining permission.
He urged the organisation to submit an application in accordance with the prescribed procedure applicable to all organisations and await formal approval from the competent authorities.
Kharge also referred to the RSS Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha Annual Report 2025-26, saying that the organisation had conducted 562 route marches across Karnataka involving 2,21,963 uniformed participants.
He said that if lakhs of RSS volunteers intended to march through the streets of Karnataka on a single day at the same time, the Police Department would have to make considerable preparations.
These arrangements would include the deployment of police personnel, transportation, food, traffic management, security and other logistical requirements, Kharge added.
Emphasising the need for proper planning, the Karnataka Minister noted that such large-scale events required manpower and public resources.
He reiterated that the RSS should fill out the prescribed application form, provide the necessary details and wait for formal permission before proceeding with its plans.
Concluding his statement, Kharge extended Dasara greetings to RSS volunteers.
Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge has been at the centre of a major political controversy over RSS route marches and public events in the state.
Kharge repeatedly challenged the RSS to clarify its legal status, labeling it an "unregistered money-laundering unit" and writing to RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat to question how it operates without formal registration.
He said that public marches and security management fall under state jurisdiction, meaning organisations must seek formal permission rather than merely informing authorities.
Following RSS route marches in Chittapur and Bengaluru, Kharge accused the RSS of turning the events into a matter of prestige, exaggerating crowd numbers, and allegedly coercing hostel students to attend through pressure from BJP leaders' families.
He also urged the state government to ban the use of public/government premises for RSS activities.
In August 2026, the Education Department suspended two government school teachers after a complaint revealed they participated in an RSS route march, violating service rules that bar government employees from participating in political or unregistered organisations.
Kharge defended the action, saying that enforcement should apply uniformly across groups like the RSS or SDPI.
The row also drew police complaints after Kharge reported receiving severe online abuse and a death threat following his letters against the RSS.