‘My dear RSS swayamsevaks, please wait’: Priyank Kharge on march permissions

Bengaluru: Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge has asked RSS volunteers planning to conduct pathasanchalana (marches) to submit formal applications and wait for official permission from the competent authorities.

In a post on social media platform X, Kharge said informing the Home Department or seeking its cooperation did not amount to obtaining permission to hold a march.

“My dear RSS Swayamsevaks, I trust the Dasara celebrations are in full swing. I have no intention of dampening your enthusiasm. However, informing the Home Department or requesting it to make necessary arrangements is not equivalent to obtaining official permission,” he said.

Kharge emphasised that the RSS, like other organisations, must follow the prescribed procedure by submitting an application with the required details and waiting until the relevant authorities grant permission.

Referring to the RSS’s Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha Annual Report 2025–26, Kharge said 562 pathasanchalana events had been held across Karnataka, involving 2,21,963 uniformed participants.

He said organising marches at multiple locations across the state on the same day and at the same time would require advance planning for police deployment, traffic management, security, transportation and other administrative arrangements.

Kharge stressed that adequate preparation was necessary to manage personnel and public resources effectively. He urged the organisers to fill out the prescribed application form and await official clearance, while extending his Dasara greetings.

My dearest Swayamsevaks of the RSS,

Hope the Dasara festivities are in full swing!

Not to be a wet blanket, but a gentle reminder, merely “informing” or telling the Home Department to “cooperate” or “make necessary arrangements” is not the same as obtaining permission.

Please submit your application in accordance with the prescribed procedure applicable to all organizations and await formal approval from the competent authorities.

I am sure you have read your own Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha Annual Report 2025–26, which states that the RSS conducted 562 route marches across Karnataka, involving 2,21,963 uniformed participants.

Now, when lakhs of you intend to march through Karnataka’s streets on single day at the same time, the Police Department has considerable preparations to make: deployment of personnel, transportation, food, traffic management, security arrangements and other logistics.

All of this requires planning, manpower and public resources.

So, please fill out the prescribed application form, provide the necessary details and await formal permission.

Happy Dasara!

— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) October 20, 2026