Bengaluru: The Kalaburagi bench of the Karnataka high court Thursday directed authorities to hold a fresh meeting on Nov 7 to resolve RSS’ path sanchalan (route march) at Chittapur town, the home constituency of minister Priyank Kharge. This means RSS’ proposed march on Nov 2 will not take place. Justice MGS Kamal said the fresh meeting will be held at the office of the advocate general and directed senior counsel representing the petitioner and RSS member Ashok Patil to attend. The outcome must be placed before the court on Nov 7, the next date of hearing. In his order, the judge said he had asked counsels to be present “considering the attention this issue has gathered” and to “guide the modality of the meeting with their experience (sic)”. Earlier, advocate general Shashikiran Shetty told the court that though a meeting was held on Oct 28 as per directions of the court, the petitioner did not attend although he sent three representatives. Senior advocate Arun Shyam, representing the petitioner, submitted that there was a bereavement in the family of the petitioner and therefore could not personally attend. The petition filed by Patil originally sought directions to authorities to grant permission to conduct the route march on Oct 19 at Chittapur. This, after permission was denied at the last minute. RSS then submitted fresh requisitions for permission to host the march on Nov 2. Meanwhile, Karnataka State Administrative Tribunal (KSAT) has stayed the suspension of a panchayat development officer (PDO) from Raichur district who was penalised for taking part in an RSS route march, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said Thursday.The Bengaluru South MP, also a lawyer, said his law office had challenged the suspension of Praveen Kumar KP, PDO from Sirwar taluk, before the tribunal.Surya, in a post on X, called the stay a setback for the state govt, saying, “This should serve as a lesson to the Congress govt that no amount of intimidation can deter the nation-building ideals of RSS.” He also thanked former advocate general Prabhuling Navadgi for his support in the case.Kumar was suspended on Oct 18 by rural development and panchayat raj department headed by minister Priyank Kharge for allegedly participating in the RSS event in Lingasugur on Oct 12. He wore the organisation’s uniform. Following his suspension, Surya met Kumar and assured him of legal assistance.“There are multiple judgments from high courts which have upheld govt servants’ right to participate in RSS programmes,” Surya had said earlier this month. “I have no doubt that this unlawful suspension will be quashed. If the Siddaramaiah govt wants a legal battle, we will give it one.”
