The Bombay high court on Friday refused to interfere in any decision that the state government takes on the issue of facilitating anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare’s agitation by making available a suitable ground for India Against Corruption in Mumbai.
A petition by Jagrut Nagrik Manch seeking lowering of the rent of the MMRDA ground at Bandra-Kurla Complex was rejected by the court, as the petitioner, an unregistered body, was not authorised to seek such a concession. The HC also refused to direct the state to let IAC have the entire of Azad Maidan for Mr Hazare’s agitation.
The MMRDA told the court that it gives concession permission to semi-government aided organisations, charitable trusts or social organisations, but the petitioner was a new group and was not registered. The court took cognisance of this. The petitioner argued that it would make a fresh application through another group that fulfils the criteria for the concession, but the HC refused to intervene.
When the court observed that the state had offered to give a part of Azad Maidan, the petitioner said that it was too small to accommodate the expected 50,000-odd agitators.
However, the court said it would still not intervene if the police commissioner refused to grant permission to allow the entire Azad Maidan to be used for the agitation.