Bombay High Court halts Maha Vikas Aghadi's call for Maharashtra Bandh on August 24

The Bombay High Court on Friday restrained political parties, particularly the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi, from proceeding with the call for a Maharashtra Bandh on August 24..The coalition, which also includes the Congress and Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has called for the Bandh to protest against the sexual abuse of two four-year-old girls at a Badlapur school and rising crimes against women."Until further orders, all concerned are restrained from proceeding with the call for bandh in the state of Maharashtra on 24th August 2024 or any other subsequent date," a Bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyay and Justice Amit Borkar ordered after two Public Interest Litigation (PILs) challenged the Bandh call..The Court issued notice to the State, the Congress, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), returnable on October 9. It also directed the State to strictly adhere to the directions issued in the BG Deshmukh case, in which the High Court had declared enforcement of a bandh as an "unconstitutional act.".Appearing for one of the petitioners, Advocate Gunratan Sadavarte argued that the bandh was "politically motivated and would harm public welfare."The State's alleged failure to manage the recent protests in Badlapur was also highlighted before the Court."This is an economic capital. Stone pelting for what justice? No, it’s for their own mileage," Sadavarte argued.Advocate Subhash Jha, who also represented one of the petitioners, stressed that the High Court has the power under Article 226 of the Constitution to act against illegal bandhs. .Responding to the petitions, Advocate General Birendra Saraf assured the Court that the State would take all necessary steps to prevent damage to life and property."The State will do its duty, but everyone has constitutional responsibilities which they should abide by," he said.While agreeing with the petitioners that the bandh was illegal, Saraf submitted that notices had been issued to the organisers, but no arrests had been made yet..Arguing against the bandh, the petitioners said that there would be the potential disruption of essential services, including newspaper distribution, milk supply and hospital operations, due to the bandh."If the intention is to prevent the milk supply, disrupt newspaper distribution, and stop people from accessing hospitals or going to work, it clearly violates citizens' natural rights, fundamental freedoms, and their ability to exercise their fundamental rights," one of the PILs argued.