Mumbai, July 2 (IANS) The Maharashtra government will challenge the opposition-sponsored shutdown in the court, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said Friday, two days ahead of a nationwide strike to protest deregulation and hike in prices of petroleum products.
‘The state government would approach the court and challenge the shutdown call,’ he told reporters here.
In a landmark verdict in 1998, the Supreme Court held that all such shutdown calls were ‘illegal and unconstitutional’ means of protest, Chavan pointed out.
He said the state was fully geared to tackle the shutdown and all essential services, including Mumbai’s lifelines — the suburban trains and BEST buses — would ply.
Also, care will be taken to ensure that nobody is forced to join the shutdown Monday and people are allowed to go about their normal routine as usual, the chief minister said.
The shutdown, to protest the recent hike in prices of petrol, kerosene and cooking gas, has drawn support from the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.
Besides, the Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India-Marxist, Revolutionary Socialist Party and Forward Bloc have issued a joint statement announcing a 12-hour All-India shutdown to protest the hike on the same day.
