MH-DANCE BARS-SMITA

Smita Patil, daughter of the late

NCP leader R R Patil, on Thursday termed as "unfortunate" the

Supreme Court's decision to lift several restrictions on dance

bars in Maharashtra.

It was R R Patil who, as home minister in the

Congress-NCP regime, had first banned dance bars in the state.

Reacting to the court's decision, Smita said this was

a "black day".

"I felt really sad, it is unfortunate from

Maharashtra's point of view. It is a black day for the state,"

she told a news channel.

Her father was moved by the plight of some families

which were ruined due to dance bars and decided to ban these

establishments, she said.

NCP leader Ajit Pawar said R R Patil brought in the

original law banning dance bars to save the young

generation.

"But the state government did not present its side

properly before the court. The BJP has forced us to see this

black day," Pawar said.

The apex court Thursday paved the way for reopening

ofdance bars in Maharashtra by setting aside some provisions

ofa 2016 law which imposed restrictions on their licensing

andfunctioning.