Bombay HC asks state, MVA constituents to file reply to PIL against bandh – Times of India

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Monday directed the state and the political parties to file their replies to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by former police chief and other prominent citizens against what they term as state sponsored bandh called recently in Maharashtra.
“Although we quiet appreciate concern expressed by the petitioners, we wonder whether directions from Court to political parties to refrain from calling bandhs have any effect on them or not” said a bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice M S S Karnik after hearing senior counsel R D Soni for the petitioners.
The HC will hear the matter next on February 14.
Claiming that the one day Bandh on October 11 across Maharashtra was “thoughtlessly imposed”, the PIL filed by ex Mumbai police chief Julio Rebeiro, 92, and others seeks an order to direct three political parties– Shiv Sena, Indian National Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) –forming part of Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to pay Rs 3000 crore as “exemplary damages or compensation’’ to the Central and State governments and to the affected citizens, through a Bandh Loss Compensation Fund.
The bench asked Soni, “who is going to identify how much and who is to be paid,’’ and Soni said the thrust of the PIL is to set up a bandh compensation fund. The counsel said, “this is an aggravated form of government sponsored’’ as it was supported by the present government and ministers had made statements.
Soni said, “cognizance ought to be taken of serious turn of event s where State in Cabinet meeting supporting bandh. It will lead to anarchy else.’’
The bench in its order noted the “concern expressed by senior citizens ..to calling of a bandh by party in power .’’
Soni cited a 2004 HC order where political parties at whose behest bandh call was given were directed to be suitably penalized via compensation amount to be paid by them.