Zee Media Bureau
Mumbai: A vacation bench of the Bombay High Court on Tuesday allowed Mumbaikars to hold New Year parties till 5 am, way beyond the police deadline of 1.30 am.
The Mumbai Police had in a circular declared 1.30 am as the deadline to celebrate New Year at parties organised by hotels and pubs. The reason - to ensure safety of women in the financial capital.
However, the move didn`t go down well with hoteliers and pub owners who make a killing with such parties. They had knocked at the court`s doors seeking directions to police to review their decision.
While allowing parties inside hotels, bars etc. to be held till 5 am, the court barred playing of outdoor music beyond 12 midnight.
Apart from the recreational business owners, many in the city too had objected to the deadline to celebrate the onset of New Year. Among them was none other than Shiv Sena young turk Aditya Thackeray (23), son of party president Udhav Thackeray.
“Killing people’s celebrations, businesses and now interfering in personal lives, this isn’t governance,” he had written on social media, calling on the government not to spoil people`s plans.
“I seriously hope they are kidding," he had tweeted on Mumbai Police`s deadline.
Though the state government had allowed hotels, eateries and commercial establishments to keep their doors open till 5 am on January 1 after obtaining permission from the Police Commissioner, the latter, Satyapal Singh, had said that they will not reconsider the decision.
The extension of deadline would put undue stress on his force, Singh had told a news channel.
Your view: Should there be deadlines to celebrate occasions like New Year? Do let us know your opinion through the Comments column.
