The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), an alliance of the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Nationalist Congress Party (SP), has decided to cancel its planned statewide bandh on August 24. This decision follows the intervention of the Bombay High Court, which raised concerns about the disruption it could cause. The bandh was initially called in response to the alleged sexual abuse of two kindergarten girls in the Badlapur district.
During the hearing, the Bombay High Court, with a bench comprising Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar, emphasized that enforcing the bandh would halt normal life and referenced a 2004 ruling that declared such bandhs unconstitutional.
Two petitions were brought before the court, challenging the planned bandh. In its decision, the court restrained the parties from proceeding with the bandh, stating that it would severely affect daily activities across the state, including business, industry, and essential services.
The court noted, "The call for a bandh across Maharashtra would bring the state's activities to a halt, potentially resulting in significant losses to industrial, economic, and other vital operations." The bench also highlighted the potential impact on essential services, warning that the bandh could "cripple life" throughout the state, disrupting everything from education to emergency services.
In response to the ruling, the MVA chose to cancel the bandh but expressed disagreement with the court’s decision. Instead, the coalition plans to hold peaceful demonstrations throughout Maharashtra, with leaders participating in silent protests by wearing black bands over their mouths.
Addressing the court’s verdict, Uddhav Thackeray stressed the need for swift justice in serious criminal cases but acknowledged the importance of respecting the court’s ruling. “We don’t agree with the court’s order, but we will respect it. We will remain silent, though the reasons behind the bandh are different,” Thackeray said.
The Bombay High Court’s decision is rooted in its 2004 order that deemed bandhs and strikes as unconstitutional. That ruling made political parties liable for any loss of life, property, or livelihood resulting from such actions, setting a legal precedent that framed the court’s latest intervention to halt the bandh.
By blocking the bandh, the court has underscored the balance between political protests and the necessity of maintaining public order and services.
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