BENGALURU: Tension gripped Kalaburagi district on October 28, as a peace meeting convened to resolve the ongoing controversy over the proposed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Path Sanchalan in Chittapur constituency ended abruptly amid heated arguments and chaos. The meeting, held at the Kalaburagi District Collectorate office, was intended to bring together various social and community organisations to discuss the peaceful conduct of the RSS Path Sanchalan. However, sharp differences between groups led to a verbal confrontation, derailing the session.
The peace meeting, chaired by senior district officials, included representatives of the RSS, Bhim Army, Indian Dalit Panther, and Chalavadi Mahasabha. The discussion was meant to ensure that the RSS Path Sanchalan, which has stirred controversy in recent weeks, could be conducted without communal tension.
However, the meeting quickly spiralled into discord when Dalit Panther and Jai Bhim Sena activists demanded that the RSS be barred from carrying lathis (sticks) during their route Path Sanchalan. The activists argued that allowing RSS volunteers to carry sticks could create fear and provoke unrest. The RSS delegation, however, firmly refused to drop the traditional practice of carrying lathis, insisting that it was part of their discipline and identity.
Their refusal sparked a heated argument between the two sides. As tempers flared, slogans were raised outside the Collector’s office, with Bhim Army and Dalit Panther activists accusing the district administration of siding with the RSS. Eventually, the situation forced officials to suspend the meeting midway, bringing the session to an abrupt halt.
The situation was further aggravated when Jai Bhim Sena leader Gundappa Londonkar was denied entry into the peace meeting. The district administration had clearly instructed that only three representatives from each organisation would be allowed to attend. However, Gundappa’s name reportedly was not included on the official list.
When police personnel stopped him at the entrance of the District Collectorate, Londonkar and his supporters protested vehemently, accusing the authorities of discrimination. The confrontation escalated, with slogans shouted against the police and administration. Despite senior officers’ efforts to pacify the group, the scene quickly turned chaotic, further heightening the tension in the meeting hall.
With no consensus emerging from the meeting, the Kalaburagi district administration has now decided to collect written statements from all participating organisations. The collected opinions will be compiled into a report and submitted to the Kalaburagi Bench of the Karnataka High Court, which is already hearing a petition related to the RSS Path Sanchalan in Chittapur.
The High Court is scheduled to hold its next hearing on October 30, during which the district administration’s report is expected to play a key role in determining whether the RSS Path Sanchalan will be allowed. Until then, the matter remains unresolved, and the final decision rests with the judiciary.
The controversy in Kalaburagi comes on the heels of a major judicial setback for the Congress-led state government. Just days earlier, the Dharwad Bench of the Karnataka High Court, headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna, issued an interim stay on the government’s order restricting RSS Path Sanchalan and public gatherings. The government order made prior police permission mandatory for any gathering of more than 10 people, which the court found violated citizens’ fundamental rights under Article 19 of the Constitution.
Legal experts believe that the Dharwad Bench’s order will likely influence the Kalaburagi proceedings as well, potentially clearing the way for the RSS Path Sanchalan in Chittapur.
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