It's better to dance than beg on streets: SC on dance bar pleas

New Delhi, April 25: The Supreme Court on Monday (April 25) said it ie better to dance than beg on the streets or earn livelihood through means that are not acceptable.

The apex court made this observation while hearing a plea on the dance bars in Mumbai. It expressed its thought after petitioners opposed to dance bars argued that obscene dancing was happening inside the bars.

A bench presided over by Justice Deepak Misra said " Mindset cannot be to prohibit...we are treating it as a performance of art", adding that one can not decide on "subjective morality".

The apex court also said that in the year 2016, dancing is an established profession but added that if it becomes obscene, it lacks a legal sanctity.

Last year, the Maharashtra government had suspended licences of several bars and hotels that included women dancing to Bollywood tunes. Later the apex court, following several appeals against the ban, asked the state to issue licences from March 15 this year on the condition that certain rules need to be adhered to.

But the dance bar associations said despite the court's say, acquiring licences have become almost impossible. Nearly 140 bars and hotels in Mumbai and 1,200 in the state applied for the licences and of them, 39 in Mumbai were inspected but are yet to be given any clearance. Four were given licences but they were withdrawn later.

On Monday, the Supreme Court also asked the Maharashtra Police to verify the antecedents of the bar owners and staff members within a week to allow them licences. It has also asked the state government to verify whether the conditions were also abided by.

Oneindia News