Haven’t violated directions on Dahi Handi precautions: Government

Refuting that they had violated high court directions on precautions to be taken during the Dahi Handi festival, the Maharashtra government and BJP leader Ashish Shelar have urged the Bombay high court to dismiss the contempt petition filed against them.

A division bench of Justices A.S. Oka and P.D. Naik was hearing a petition filed by activist Swati Patil, seeking contempt action to be initiated against state home department’s principal secretary Swadheen Kshatriya and Mr Shelar, who is the head of the Dahi Handi Samiti set up by the government in February last year. The government and Mr Shelar have submitted their affidavits before the division bench.

On August 11, 2014, the high court passed several directions to the state government, including restricting human pyramid formation to less than 20 feet during the Dahi Handi festival, and to ensure that organisers provide safety gears to the people participating in it.

“The government challenged the high court order in Supreme Court, and the apex court suspended the direction on height restriction of human pyramids. Hence the government did not have to issue any circular on this,” state home department’s deputy secretary Vijay Patil said in the affidavit.

The government in its affidavit further said that ambulances were deployed outside major Dahi Handi pandals and also additional police force was deployed to ensure no untoward incident took place. The affidavit also said that the government had issued directions to the commissioner of police, who in-turn ensured that conditions were imposed on the organisers to take safety measures like providing chest guards, helmets, medical aid and so on.

Mr Shelar, in his affidavit, said his role as head of the samiti was only to submit recommendations to the government. “I had no role with regard to the norms, restrictions and safety measures to be taken during the Dahi Handi festival,” he said.

“It was for the government to consider the safety measures and compliance of court orders. I am not responsible for any violation of law as chairman of the committee,” the BJP leader said in his affidavit. The bench directed Ms Patil to file her rejoinder to the affidavits, and adjourned the petition beyond summer vacations.