Showering monies on bar dancers is against dignity: SC

New Delhi, Aug 30 (PTI) A provision of a new MaharashtraAct to regulate obscene dance performances and prohibitingshowering of money at dancers today found favour with theSupreme Court, which said the law respected "the dignity ofwoman and dignify decency and culture". A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and C Nagappan, however,issued notice to the state government on a batch of petitionsincluding one filed by Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association(IHRA) challenging the constitutional validity of certainprovisions of the Maharashtra Prohibition of Obscene Dance inHotels, Restaurants and Bar Rooms and Protection of Dignity ofWomen (Working therein) Act, 2016. Refusing to accept showering of currency notes on womendancers as tip, the bench said, "this provision shows respectfor women. This dignifies decency and culture". The bench distinguished between throwing money in cinemahalls with showering of notes on women dancers at the bars."This is not the silver screen where you throw money. They areperformers and there is certain dignity attached to them." Senior advocate Jayant Bhushan appearing for IHRA saidthe Act allows giving financial reward to singers butstrangely prohibited the same for dancers. "Handing over currency to dancers for their performancesis just like giving a tip. This is allowed for singers andprohibited for the dancers," Bhushan argued. The bench rejected the vehement contention of senioradvocate Shekhar Naphade, representing Maharashtra, that theplea should not be entertained by the apex court and sent tothe Bombay High Court for adjudication. During the brief hearing, the counsel for various hotelsand dance bars objected to several provisions of the new law,including installation of CCTV cameras near performance areas. Bhushan termed as unconstitutional the provision whichrequires that no drinks would be served at a place wheredancers would be performing in the bar. He also objected to a clause where bars are required toemploy the dancers, saying a performer cannot be restrainedfrom choosing places where she can perform. "Why should a woman be forced to be employed. They areprofessionals. They are performers and can give theirperformances at any place of their choice," Bhushan said.(More) PTI MNL SJK RKSARC