HC rejects state plea seeking permission to hold high-profile event at Chowpatty.
In a setback to the Maharashtra government, the Bombay high court on Thursday rejected its plea seeking permission to organise the Maharashtra night of “Make in India Week” at Girgaum Chowpatty.
The division bench of Justice A.S. Oka and Justice C.V. Bhadang while rejecting the application observed that permitting the government to organise such an event on the beach will be against the guidelines of the committee appointed by the high court and “Granting permission will defeat the very intention of the court order (of keeping the beaches open for public),” said the bench.
The bench was hearing an application filed by the state on January 21 to seek permission to hold the cultural function at the Chowpatty on February 14, 2016. However the court was of the view that if permission is granted to the state, then other privates parties will also come forward with similar requests.
Advocate General (AG) Srihari Aney, appearing for the state submitted a chart of the function that slotted space for a stage, green rooms, music system and washrooms and said that it would take up space up to 2,00,000 sq ft. He also said that the plan to put a barricade is dropped now, but barricades would be put up only to a limited extent to protect the VIPs, and apart from this around 500 chairs would be placed for people invited in the programme and the public will be allowed to see the event. He also claimed that this programme was to celebrate with the public and the public would be invited and hence there would not be any restriction on entry to beach for common people.
AG also explained to the court that this programme would be limited to four hours in the evening only. Mr Aney said that since three Prime Ministers and 57 foreign dignitaries would be present, it would be nice to host the function at an attractive place such as Chowpatty. On this, the bench said that the court is not concerned about how to impress people but whether guidelines framed by the committee are violated or not.
The AG also said that the in 2011, the high court had granted permission to the state to hold the first and last day of a function to celebrate 50 years of statehood at Girgaum Chowpatty and there is a history of leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak holding public meeting and immersion of idols during Ganesh Utsav and Durga Pooja.
The judges however were not satisfied with the arguments and said that presence of foreign dignatries does not make a case for treating this on par with a function to celebrate 50 years of statehood.
The court rejected the application filed by the state observing that except activities mentioned by the high power committee constituted by the high court no other activities should be held. Some of the activities include holding Ram Leela and immersion of Ganesh and Durga idols.
