Mumbai: In a blow to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, the Bombay High Court on Friday termed its call for a ‘Maharashtra Bandh’ on August 24 over the Badlapur school sexual assault case as ‘illegal.’ Following the court verdict, the opposition alliance called off the bandh, but said they will protest peacefully against the Mahayuti government with black bands around their mouths across the state.
The high court ruled that declaring a bandh in this way is illegal and no party has the right to call a bandh. It also directed the Maharashtra government to take all necessary steps to prevent a bandh. The judges cited a 2004 High Court ruling which held the enforcement of bandhs or general strikes unconstitutional.
A division bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar said if political parties and individuals were not restrained from proceeding with the call for bandh on Saturday, huge losses, not only in terms of economy and business but also essential services and basic amenities including health services will occur, which needs to be prevented.
The MVA alliance had called for a bandh across the state on August 24 to protest against the alleged sexual assault of two kindergarten girls at a school in Badlapur in Thane district. The MVA comprises the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).
“We are, prima facie, convinced that the call given by the political parties is a call to observe bandh tomorrow in the entire state of Maharashtra, which means a call for cessation of all kinds of activities which will result in the life of the state coming to a halt, that may entail heavy loss to industrial activities, business activities, economic activities and other such activities,” the HC said.
“The bandh may lead to crippling the life of entire Maharashtra,” the HC said, adding that in the past, citizens have suffered due to state-wide bandhs.
Soon after the HC orders, Sharad Pawar appealed to the alliance partners to call off the bandh. In a post on X, the veteran leader said the bandh call was given in exercise of fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution, but the judiciary also needs to be respected.
Pawar’s appeal put both Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) in a scurry. The leaders of both parties held hectic parleys over the NCP supremo’s move, before deciding to withdraw the bandh.
Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole said MVA leaders and workers will protest against the Mahayuti government with black flags and black band tied around their mouths at different locations in the state.
“Respecting the court’s view, we will peacefully protest against the government between 11 am and noon with black flags and black bands tied around our mouth,” Patole said. He said the decision was taken after consulting NCP (SP) state president Jayant Patil and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray.
While Thackeray expressed disagreement with a HC order saying “We don’t agree with the High Court order on bandh,” he said he will also join the protest of opposition parties.
