he Bombay High Court on Thursday rejected the State government’s plea to hold the Maharashtra Night at Girgaum Chowpatty during the Make in India Week.
The State’s argument that the event will be attended by Prime Ministers of several countries and also foreign dignitaries and the Marine Drive skyline would offer a good backdrop for the event didn’t impress the court.
It observed that it wasn’t concerned about who the State planned to impress. The court also countered the State’s argument that the 50 years of Maharashtra statehood event in 2011 had been allowed at Chowpatty by stating that the Make in India event cannot be treated on par with it. “Presence of foreign dignitaries does not make a case for treating this on par with a function to celebrate statehood,” the High Court observed.
A division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice CV Bhadang was hearing an application filed by the State on January 21 to seek permission to hold the cultural function at Chowpatty on February 14.
Advocate General (AG) Shreehari Aney, appearing for the State, submitted a chart giving details of the function and how space had been earmarked on the beach for a stage, green rooms, music system and washrooms — measuring up to 2 lakh sq ft — almost equivalent to the space covered by eateries on the Chowpatty. The court expressed surprise at the number of structures and noted that allowing permission to hold this event will only lead to private parties seeking similar permissions.
Mr Aney said the function will last for only four hours in the evening and the beach will be open to the public at large.
The Advocate General also said that the beach was used by leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak and other leaders for public meetings and is used for the immersion of religious idols. The court said that only Ram Leela and immersion of Ganesh and Durga idols have been allowed as per the guidelines of a high-powered committee.
The court on Thursday said activities other than those mentioned by the committee cannot be allowed on the beach and that it should always be open to the public.
The Make in India initiative is aimed at making the country a global manufacturing hub. The entire Week is organised to promote India as an investment destination and increase its share in global foreign direct investment.
