Locals seek ban on rallies at Shivaji Park

A city-based trust and two local residents have moved the Bombay High Court seeking a complete ban on non-sporting activities at Shivaji Park in Dadar, a popular venue for political rallies, reports HT Correspondent.

A city-based trust and two local residents have moved the Bombay High Court seeking a complete ban on non-sporting activities at Shivaji Park in Dadar, a popular venue for political rallies.

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Petitioners — Veckom Trust and locals Sharad Dixit and J.D. Udeshi — have contended that Shivaji Park was shown in the development plan reserved exclusively for sporting activities and, therefore, cannot be used for any other purpose.

Dixit and Udeshi are members of the Advanced Locality Management of the municipal corporation.

Citing nuisance caused by the political rallies and other non-sporting activities, the petitioners also sought that Shivaji Park be declared a silence zone.

They have sought a complete ban on the use of loudspeakers on the grounds between 10 pm and 6 am in accordance with the Pollution Control and Regulation (PCR) Rules, 2000.

They also challenged the Constitutional validity of the 2003 amendment in the PCR Rules that empowers the state to allow the use of loudspeakers up to midnight on 15 days in a year.

A division bench of Justice F.I. Rebello and Justice JH Bhatia on Thursday directed the municipal corporation to file an affidavit in reply to the petition within three weeks.