BJP slams denial of permission for RSS route march in Chittapur

Condemning the denial of permission for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) proposed route march in Chittapur, BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra on Sunday (October 19, 2025) accused the Congress government of functioning in an “authoritarian” manner reminiscent of the Emergency.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mr. Vijayendra alleged that constitutional rights were being “snatched away in the name of the Constitution itself.”

“In Chittapur, those who claim to uphold the Constitution are themselves violating constitutional rights. The Tahsildar’s denial of permission for the RSS centenary celebrations, citing incomplete submission of 12 documents, reminds one of North Korea’s dictatorial regime under Kim Jong Un,” he wrote.

The BJP leader said Minister Priyank Kharge, who represents Chittapur in the Assembly, appeared to be “reviving the dark memories of the Emergency imposed by the Congress.”

“It seems the Congress government wants to bring back an Emergency-like regime in Kalaburagi district, using Chittapur as its launch pad,” he said.

Mr. Vijayendra further accused the government of creating a “stifling atmosphere” in Chittapur that, he claimed, mocked the spirit of the Constitution and democracy envisioned by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

“If the kind of conditions imposed on the RSS for permission are applied across the State, there would be no scope to hold any cultural or patriotic events in Karnataka. Congress government has turned Chittapur as a laboratory for imposing Emergency-style governance in the State,” he said.

Terming Chittapur incident as a battle between dictatorship and democracy, Mr. Vijayendra declared that his party would take this up as a challenge and fight to protect the Constitution and democracy.