The Bombay High Court has issued a restraining order against political parties and individuals calling for a bandh in Maharashtra. The decision comes in response to a call for a state-wide shutdown by the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance on August 24. The MVA’s bandh is intended to protest the alleged sexual assault of two kindergarten girls at a school in Badlapur, Thane district.
A division bench led by Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar stated that the Maharashtra government must take all necessary measures to prevent the bandh. The court will soon release a detailed order on two petitions filed by advocates Subhash Jha and Gunaratna Sadavarte, challenging the legality of the bandh call.
“We are restraining any political party and/or any individual from calling for a bandh. The state shall take all preventive steps,” the bench declared.
State Advocate General Birendra Saraf argued that the bandh call was illegal and assured the court that the government would take steps to prevent damage to lives and property. Saraf mentioned that notices had been issued to some individuals, but no arrests had been made as of yet.
Advocates Jha and Sadavarte referenced a Kerala High Court ruling that deemed state-wide bandhs illegal and highlighted previous instances where such calls led to significant property damage, including the Maratha reservation protests.
The Bombay High Court is expected to issue a detailed order later today.