Maharashtra Bandh: In a major legal development, the Bombay High Court on Friday restrained the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance comprising Shiv Sena UBT, Nationalist Congress Party SP, and Congress from going ahead with their proposed statewide bandh on August 24 or any other date. The bandh was called to protest the alleged police apathy in the handling of a sexual assault case at a school in Badlapur. The court ruled that a general strike would affect the normal life and cause wide-scale inconvenience. After the court order, now Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners have taken the step of protesting.
Petitions Prompt Urgent Judicial Intervention Against MVA’s Bandh Call
The division bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar referred to an earlier judgment of the court in July 2004 which declared the enforcement of bandhs as unconstitutional. It said that the bandh would cause “huge loss” not only to the economy and businesses but also to essential services and basic amenities like health services.
The order of the court was after two petitions, by advocates Subhash Jha and Gunaratna Sadavarte, filed earlier in the day on Friday. They pressed for urgent intervention of the top court to restrain the MVA partners from enforcing the proposed bandh, which would cause immense hardship to the people of Maharashtra, particularly at Mumbai. It was further submitted by the petitioners that this would disrupt everything like running of local trains, buses, and roads including total closure, which was suggested by the leaders of MVA through their public statements.
Court Acknowledges Risks of Bandh to Public Life and Essential Services
Advocate General Birendra Saraf also came in support of the stand of the petitioners and informed the court that calling a general strike was illegal. He assured the bench that all steps would be taken to prevent damage to life or property by the state government.
While it chose not to get into the political motive behind the bandh, it accepted the petitioner’s apprehensions that it could result in the paralysis of normal life. The judges pointed out that a bandh would badly affect vital services like education, emergency services and even the lifeline of Mumbai, its local train services. “The whole life of Mumbai may come to a standstill if the bandh is permitted,” the bench observed. The court had also asked the state authorities to take all prompt and effective measures to thwart the bandh call.
NCP-SCP Chief Sharad Pawar Leads Protest in Pune Despite Court Order
Defying the court’s order, NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar, accompanied by other MVA leaders, protested in Pune wearing black bands to denounce the Badlapur incident. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said, “We respect the court’s decision, but our fight will continue.” He confirmed that the alliance would hold a protest at 11 a.m. instead of enforcing a bandh.