News Tamil Nadu

BJP Tamil Nadu’s Muslim Leader Prevented From Participating In RSS Route March

November 20, 2023
The Commune

Tiruchi witnessed heightened security measures as members of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) undertook route march on 19 November 2023. The police reported that the route march commenced at Nachiyarkoil in Woraipur police station limits in Tiruchi around 4 pm, passing through Main Guard Gate, Chathiram Bus Stand, Karur Bypass, and concluding at Annamalai Nagar at 5 pm, with the participation of several hundred RSS Swayamsevaks.

Amidst this, Bharatiya Janata Party’s minority wing national secretary, Syed Ibrahim, also known as Vellore Ibrahim and seven others were arrested by the police as a preventive measure near the BJP office.

In response to the arrests, Ibrahim expressed his discontent, stating, “No sir, we are just going to shower petals there. Is there no safe place in this Tiruchi city? The route march is about 4 km long; now you can let us gather near a temple or a Hindu majority area and let us shower petals. You are scared that if we gather near a Muslim-dominated area, then some terrorist or extremist attacks can occur. Okay, let’s not gather there; let’s go near a temple or a church. Why are you wasting your time arresting me? Allow us to go; don’t oppress us. Is being a nationalist a sin?”

In another video, Vellore Ibrahim can be seen indulging in a sit-in protest outside the district headquarters of the party. Police is seen entering the party office and this was resisted by Ibrahim. Following this he was arrested.

Speaking to the press later, Ibrahim said, “The party high command has given me the duty of propagating the awareness of the schemes brought in by the BJP government headed by PM Narendra Modi and also to ensure religious harmony among all Hindus, Muslims and Christians, that they are united as children of Bharat Mata.”

He added, “In TN, I have been speaking about religious harmony everywhere. Muslims and Christians have understood this. DMK, DK, VCK’s Thirumavalavan and dangerous fascist forces are continuing to peddle mistruths about RSS among Muslims and Christians and portraying them as a terrorist organisation. They are also spreading lies that RSS was formed to eradicate Muslims – the people spreading this lie include Stalin, Thirumavalavan, that’s why Christians and Muslims are living in fear about RSS. Whether it was the tsunami or corona pandemic, RSS was at the forefront of helping others sacrificing their lives and served the people. I have attended all the programmes conducted by RSS. All that they propagate is that we are all children of Bharat Mata, there should be no religious discord among us, we must fight against the atheist propaganda. TN CM and DMK leader Stalin is spreading lies about these marches that they are dangerous for Muslims and Christians. Whenever we asked for permission, they would petition that if the marches are conducted, there will be riots and other problems. Even SC has permitted the marches. I have participated in these marches. Last year it was in Madurai, this year I have been given the responsibility of Tiruchi. When I was going to participate in the programme, police stopped me and tried to arrest me. When I asked them the reason, they said, there was “pressure” from the higher ups. Whether it is the Commissioner or the IG, they say the same thing. Where is the pressure coming from? The TN CM Stalin who is holding the reins of the TN Police. He is the one pressurising them. People are watching who is responsible for the deteriorating law and order situation here. When Muslims and Christians participate in the marches, people who watch the news will be aware of the truth, what will Hindus understand from this, that everything is alright here, they will be forced to question the government which stopped the RSS marches. To prevent this, Vellore Ibrahim and others have to be arrested and not allowed to participate in the march. The police is also giving me another reason, that if I participate, there will be riots, there will be an extremist attack on me. How many days will police keep saying this? If they are aware of such a thing, why are they not taking action or is their security so bad? Will your intelligence agencies not protect me? I condemn the CM Stalin for making the police department hang their heads in shame because of inefficiency. At least let us stand on the side of the road when the march goes past us so we can shower flowers on the swayamsevaks. They are not allowing even that but instead are arresting me. We are not afraid of arrests.”

Police claim that the arrested individuals attempted to participate in the route march without providing any prior notification to the authorities. The arrested persons were temporarily held in a private hall and subsequently released after a few hours.

It is noteworthy that on 16 October 2023, in response to a writ petition initiated by an RSS member seeking permission to conduct a procession, Justice G. Jayachandran’s bench deemed the justifications presented by the Advocate General on behalf of the state as “lame”.

“The chart provided by the learned Advocate General, which annexed to the judgment, are lame reasons, to say the least. The State to circumvent or defy the mandate of Hon’ble Supreme Court order to deny permission to the Organization to conduct a rally in a democratic manner had listed out reasons and it only exposes the inability of the State machinery“, the Court held in the Judgment.

The Court further declared that the State’s rejection orders did not align with the principles of secular and democratic governance.

Specifically, the Court addressed the DMK government’s objection concerning the presence of Mosques and Churches along the procession route, stating, “The rejection of the RSS’s procession and public meeting request based on the existence of these structures, places of worship of different religions, or offices of organizations with differing ideologies is inconsistent with the fundamental principle of Secularism, upon which the Indian Constitution is built.”

Following the Court’s order, permission was granted for the RSS to hold route marches across Tamil Nadu on 19 November 2023.

(With inputs from The Hindu)

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