Bombay HC raps Uddhav oath-ceremony on Shivaji Park grounds

Mumbai, Nov 27: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday raised security concerns over the swearing-in ceremony of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister at Shivaji Park here, and said holding such functions at a public ground should not become a regular feature.

Henceforth, everyone will want to use the ground for such ceremonies, a division bench of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and R I Chagla said.

Thackeray will be sworn in as Maharashtra's chief minister at the Shivaji Park in Dadar on Thursday evening.

"We do not want to say anything about tomorrow's ceremony...we are only praying that nothing untoward happens," the court said while hearing a plea of NGO Wecom Trust on whether the Shivaji Park was a playground or a recreation ground.

"What will happen is that this (holding ceremonies) will become a regular feature and everyone will want to use the ground for such ceremonies," the court said.

The high court had in 2010 declared the area as a 'silence zone' after the PIL was filed by the NGO.