Responding to a directive from the Karnataka High Court on Friday, local district authorities have swiftly organized a pivotal peace meeting. Scheduled for Tuesday, this gathering will bring together representatives from numerous organizations that have applied for permission to hold a route march in Chittapur on November 2.
According to Superintendent of Police Adduru Srinivasulu, a total of ten organizations have received invitations. These include prominent groups such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Bhim Army, the Bharatiya Dalit Panthers, the Gonda Kuruba ST Horata Samiti, the Karnataka Rajya Chalavadi Kshemabhivruddi Sangha, and the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene.
Mr. Srinivasulu further elaborated that the meeting will commence at 11:30 a.m. in the Deputy Commissioner’s office conference hall. To ensure focused discussions, each participating organization will be limited to a maximum of three representatives. Official notices have already been dispatched to all invited parties.
Concurrently, the district branch of the BJP held a meeting with Deputy Commissioner Fouzia Taranum on Monday. During this meeting, they presented a memorandum formally requesting the administration to grant approval for the RSS route march.
The extensive memorandum bears the signatures of 21 key party leaders, notably including MLA Avinash Jadhav and MLCs Shashil Namoshi, B.G. Patil, and Sunil Vallyapure.
Ambaraya Ashtagi, Vice-President of the BJP’s State Scheduled Castes Morcha, confirmed his participation in the RSS delegation, alongside RSS leaders Krishnaji Joshi and Prahlad.
The controversy first arose on October 19 when Chittapur Tahsildar Nagayya Hiremath rejected the RSS’s application to hold its route march, which was intended as part of the organization’s centenary celebrations. The denial was issued due to significant concerns over potential disruptions to law and order.
This decision was further complicated by multiple concurrent applications from other groups, such as the Bhim Army and the Bharatiya Dalit Panthers, who had also requested to conduct similar marches on the very same day and along the identical route.
In response to the denial, RSS leader Ashok Patil promptly filed a writ petition at the High Court in Kalaburagi, directly challenging the Tahsildar’s initial ruling.
During a special sitting on October 19, the court initially instructed the district administration to provide a comprehensive report on the local ground situation by October 24. In the subsequent hearing last Friday, Justice M.G.S. Kamal further mandated the State government to organize a peace meeting involving all applicant organizations, aiming to facilitate an amicable resolution.
The court also specified that the district administration must present a report detailing the outcome of this crucial peace meeting before the next scheduled hearing on Thursday.