The row over the proposed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) route march in Chittapur deepened on Tuesday (Oct 28, 2025) when a peace meeting called by the Kalaburagi district administration on the directions of the Karnataka High Court ended in acrimony after the RSS delegation rejected a demand to drop the demand of other national employees flag groups to waive the demand of other national employee groups. and a copy of the preamble to the Constitution during its centennial march.
The meeting chaired by Deputy Commissioner Fouzia Taranum was attended by representatives of 10 organisations, including RSS, Bhim Army, Bharatiya Dalit Panthers, Gonda Kuruba ST Horata Samithi, Karnataka Rajya Chalavadi Kshemabhivruddi Sangha, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasir Sene, among others.
On different days
When Ms. Taranum asked if the organizations were ready to hold their respective routes on different days to avoid confrontation, several organizations led by the Karnataka Rajya Chalavadi Kshemabhivruddi Sangha opposed granting permission to the RSS, saying it was not a registered organization.
Tension erupted when CPI(M) district secretary K. Neela, Bharatiya Dalit Panthers leader Mallappa Hosamani and scholar Prof. RK Hudgi jointly proposed that the RSS be allowed to march along the route only if its volunteers agree to give up their lathis and instead carry the Indian national flag and copies of the preamble to the Constitution.
Ambaraya Ashtagi, state vice-president of the BJP Scheduled Caste Morcha and a member of the RSS delegation, protested vehemently, questioning why the RSS should “follow the dictates of others” on how to conduct its event. “We have our own tradition and discipline. We cannot allow others to tell us what to carry on our march,” he reportedly said, sparking a heated exchange.
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Other participants, including SS Tawde, Rajendra Kapanur, Dinesh Doddamani, Lachhappa Jamadar and other Dalit leaders representing various organisations, argued that carrying a lathi in a sensitive city like Chittapur could incite tension and was “against the spirit of constitutional democracy”. The argument intensified, leading to an abrupt end to the meeting without consensus.
Sloganeering against RSS
A large number of supporters from various Dalit, Left and progressive organizations gathered outside the meeting venue. When the meeting ended around 1:00 pm, the protesters raised slogans against the RSS and its “politics of division”, prompting the police to safely escort the RSS representative from the deputy commissioner’s offices.
“As a large crowd had gathered outside, we provided safe passage to the RSS delegation as a precautionary measure,” said a senior police officer. Police officers were deployed outside Mr. Ashtagi’s house.
Countermeasures
Bhim Army State President SS Tawde told reporters from the meeting that his organization along with other like-minded groups would hold their own march on the same day as the RSS if they refused to replace the lathis with the national flag and the preamble of the constitution. “We will show our commitment to the constitution,” he declared.
Dinesh Doddamani, district general secretary, Karnataka Rajya Chalavadi Kshemabhivruddi Sangha, alleged that the RSS was “pitting Dalit leaders against each other”. “Since most of the Dalit organizations opposed the march of the RSS route, they pushed Ambaraja Ashtagi, a Dalit and BJP leader, to counter us in the meeting. He is being used as a shield,” he alleged.
KALABURAGI (GULBARGA), KARNATAKA, 28-10-2025: Bhim Army State President SS Tawde talking to media persons outside Deputy Commissioner’s office in Kalaburagi after a peace meeting on Tuesday. PHOTO: ARUN KULKARNI | Photo credit: ARUN KULKARNI
Countering this, Mr Ashtagi said, “I have no problem with the national flag. It was the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi who started the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign. But we don’t need patriotism lessons from anyone. The RSS will do what the court orders, not what other organizations dictate.”
The dispute began after Chittapur Tahsildar Nagayya Hiremath on 19 October denied permission to the RSS to march along the route, citing possible law and order problems, after several organizations sought permission to march along the same route and date.
Ashok Patil, an RSS leader in Chittapur, then filed a suit before the Kalaburagi Bench of the Karnataka High Court challenging the refusal. On October 24, Justice MGS Kamal directed the district administration to call a peace meeting of all concerned organizations to arrive at a consensus and submit a report to the court by the next hearing on October 30.
Published – 28 Oct 2025 17:55 IST
