Mumbai: Political parties should pay up if
their agitations lead to destruction of public or private
property, the Bombay High Court said on Wednesday.
A division bench of justices Ranjana Desai and Mridula
Bhatkar said this while hearing an application by ex-Shiv Sena
MLA Sitaram Dalvi seeking a stay on a collector's order to pay
compensation for vandalism during an agitation by the party.
Dalvi's lawyer Shriram Kulkarni said while some 500
workers had taken part in protests at Hotel Intercontinental
in 2009 here -- in which the hotel's facade was damaged --
only his client had been singled out.
But Justice Desai said: "The time has come for
political parties to pay...you go on rampage, destroy public
property...money must come (from parties) and the government
must be recouped."
To Kulkarni's argument that his client had little to
do with the protest over labour issues (which was led by Sena
MP Sanjay Raut), the court said: "Then go to your party. It's
your internal affair."
However, the court did not pass any order, agreeing to
give further hearing to Dalvi tomorrow.
As per Bombay Police Act, District Collector can
recover compensation from the person who organises any protest
that leads to vandalism. Authorities treated Dalvi (68) as an
organiser because he had sought permission from police to use
loudspeaker prior to the protest.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, March 03, 2010, 22:17