Licences in two weeks to Mumbai dance bar owners

CM Devendra Fadnavis reiterates his govt is in favour of total ban on dance bars

The Supreme Court on Thursday stuck to its earlier order of October 15 and asked the state to issue licences to dance bar owners within two weeks. The state government informed the apex court its orders would be complied with.

Nearly 1,500 bars across the state had employed more than 75,000 women dancers before the state government first imposed a ban in earlier this year.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the government respects the apex court’s order. However, he clarified that the government was of the view that ban on dance bars should continue.

Fadnavis said the government would explore all legal options to examine whether the Maharashtra Police Act can be amended.

Opposition parties reacted sharply blaming the state government for not arguing the case properly. Nationalist Congress Party spokesman Nawab Malik alleged that the state government and the dance bar owners had a secret deal and the government was not at all serious to continue the ban.

The law banning dance bars — an amendment in the Maharashtra Police Act  — had been passed unanimously without a debate in June 2014. Earlier in 2013, the top court had quashed a similar law banning dance performances.

Restaurant owners had challenged the 2014 amendment, arguing that the state was thwarting the intention of the court. The apex court concurred, observing that although it had set aside a similar provision, the law had been brought back in a new manner.

Meanwhile, senior office bearer of the Dance Bar Association, who did not want to be identified, hoped that the government will act as per the apex court order to issue licenses in two weeks.