Bengaluru, 17 Oct 

Vijayapura MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to ban namaz on roads, footpaths, and government premises without prior permission.

His demand comes a day after the State Cabinet decided to frame rules, reportedly aimed at checking RSS activities, including marching on roads and holding events in public places and government premises.

In a letter to Siddaramaiah, Yatnal wrote, "We have seen people offering namaz on public roads and government premises without obtaining due permission from the competent authorities”.

"Such activities cause obstruction to vehicular and pedestrian movement, inconvenience the public, and endanger pedestrians, thereby violating the citizens' fundamental rights to free movement and safety guaranteed under Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India," it further said.

He argued that there should not be any special provision to offer namaz in government offices or other government-aided institutions.

“Permitting such practices while restricting other organisational activities on public property amounts to selective enforcement and undermines the credibility of governance,” Yatnal said.

CM: NOT JUST ABOUT RSS 

Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah said that the Cabinet’s decision was "not just about RSS".

"Any organisation conducting activities without government permission is not allowed. This rule was actually brought in by the BJP under Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar," he said.

In 2013, the Shettar-led government had issued a circular, restricting the use of school premises and attached playgrounds for educational purposes only.