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- By Parinda News Bureau, April 17, 2006, 10:50 IST
The state government is likely to stick to its stand on the dance bar issue when it approaches the Supreme Court.
The state government plans to argue that five-star hotels cannot be equated with dance bars as the former have been granted industry status by a 1987 Union notification. This was done because the hotel and tourism industry accounts for a sizable percentage of the foreign exchange inflow into the country.
According to the government, floorshows are just a minor activity for five-star hotels. A supporter of deputy CM RR Patil said, "There were just 20 dance performances in five-star hotels in Mumbai last year.
On the other hand, girls gyrating to film music is the sole activity of dance bars," he added.
The government will also argue that in pubs and discos no one is paid to dance for others' entertainment and therefore they cannot be equated with dance bars.
Initially, the law to ban dance bars was the idea of RR Patil who argued that youngsters was being lured into these vice dens by the heady mix of wine and women.
According to sources, Patil did not want five-star hotels to be given special concessions by law, but he was overruled by Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.
However, the Congress' sudden decision to support the court's ruling has left Patil isolated on the issue. "It was a collective decision not only of the cabinet, but the entire state legislature voted in favour of the ban. Now, the Congress cannot take a holier than thou stand and distance itself, said a party worker.
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