MNS refuses to give in, will go ahead with 40ft dahi handi despite court order
Picture Courtesy : ABP Majha
A day after being served a precautionary notice warning of strict action, the MNS chief confirmed that the party will go about celebrating the festival the way it does each year, even if it comes at the cost of disobeying the court order.
On Tuesday, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray met with members of the dahi handi coordination committee and confirmed that it plans to go ahead with the 40 ft, 9-tier pyramid in Vishnu Nagar, Naupada in Thane. The party has announced a prize money of Rs 11 lakh for the winning govinda pathak.
MNS had announced the competition ahead of the Supreme Court ruling, which capped the height of human pyramid to 20 feet and barred youths under the age of 18 from participating in dahi handi.
However, even after the court ruled against allowing 40 ft human pyramids, Thackeray remained adamant. Instead, the leader snubbed the court order, stating that the SC should not poke its nose in the religious matters of Hindus. He also instructed his followers to continue celebrating the festival as always, claiming that he ‘did not care for contempt of court’.
But, seeing how the party had flouted the HC order last year, Dadar police sent a notice to a party worker under section 149 of the CrPC, warning of criminal action if found flouting rules. Last year, Munaf Nura Thakur of MNS was booked under section 336 (Act endangering life or personal safety of others) and section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal code after the dahi handi organized by the party at Senapati Bapat marg, Elphinstone Junction and Dadar (West) did not uphold the Bombay HC order.
Meanwhile, other parties like BJP, NCP and Congress have refrained from asking workers to outright violate the HC order. Although, according to one report, Shiv Sena workers have been instructed to ‘quietly ignore the court order’.
