New Delhi, Jul 16 (IANS): The Supreme Court Tuesday upheld the right of bar dancers to pursue their profession subject to dancing bars taking licence from the state authorities.
The apex court bench of Chief Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice S.S. Nijjar upheld the right of bar dancers as it rejected the Maharashtra government's plea against the Bombay High Court verdict striking down the police orders that bar dancing in hotels below three stars.
Pronouncing the judgment, Justice Nijjar said that they have not touched the question of the right of the dancing girls under article 19 (A).
The bar dancers had contended that besides being discriminative the police order impinged on their right to livelihood. They had also contended that besides dancing at the bar they knew no other trade to earn their living.
Mumbai dance bars to reopen after SC verdict
Mumbai, Jul 16 (IANS): The city's famous symbol of nightlife, the dance bars which were shut down in 2005, will reopen soon after a Supreme Court verdict in New Delhi Tuesday.
Welcoming the judgment, Fight For Rights of Bar Owners Association president M.S. Sethi said Mumbai police had cancelled all licences subject to the outcome of the Supreme Court ruling.
"Now that the SC ruling has gone in our favour, the police decision stands automatically cancelled. I don't see any reason why we cannot re-start the dance bars from today," Sethi said.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state unit spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said that while shutting down the dance bars, Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil thought he was doing something great.
"His move was not only erroneous but has been proved wrong by the SC verdict. It was just drama," Bhandari said.
Leader of the bar dancers' association Varsha Kale also welcomed the apex court judgment and said a long struggle has finally ended in their favour.
However, state BJP president Devendra Fadnavis said his party was "totally against the culture of dance bars and they must not function". He demanded that the government should file a review petition or make suitable amendments to the law.