The Supreme Court on Friday, November 3, questioned the maintainability of Tamil Nadu government's pleas against decisions of Madras High Court which allowed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to conduct route marches in the state. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta asked the state government to explain why it did not file an intra-court available in the Madras High Court and cast doubts on maintainability of the special leave petitions (SLP) filed before the apex court. 

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who appeared on state government’s behalf, requested the bench to adjourn hearing for November 6 and assured that he will file relevant documents to show that the pleas challenging orders of the High Court are maintainable. 

Sibal urged that the contempt proceedings initiated before the High Court may be kept in abeyance until the appeal is decided by the Supreme Court. However, the top court refused to pass any interim directions and deferred hearing till Monday. 

“Today we are not on merits, first, we want to be convinced that this SLP is maintainable and that you don't have any alternative remedy. If we are satisfied that the SLP is maintainable, we assure you that we are going to ask you some uncomfortable questions,” it remarked. 

Recently, the Madras High Court slammed Tamil Nadu government for not following its orders passed in relation to the conduct of the RSS route march.