The Maharashtra Home Minister, Mr R.R. Patil, today said top police officials would be held responsible if the dance bars and hookah parlours are found functioning in the areas of their jurisdiction.

“Mumbai Police Commissioner will be directed to ensure that these two activities are completely stopped in the city,” Mr Patil told the State Assembly during discussion on a calling attention notice moved by the Opposition members over implementation of a ban on the dance bars in the State.

Mr Patil was faced with a barrage of complaints from the Opposition members, who alleged that despite the law in place to shut dance bars in the State, its implementation has been extremely poor and they are functioning with police protection.

Responding to the allegations, Mr Patil said the police official concerned would be suspended within 24 hours, if dance bars are found functioning with a tacit support of police.

The Shiv Sena member Mr Subhash Desai wondered how the links between police officials and owners of dance bars could be proved. He demanded that senior officials of the rank of DCP be suspended if dance bars and hookah parlours are found operating in their jurisdiction.

The Leader of Opposition, Mr Eknath Khadse, alleged that police officials were hand-in-glove with the owners of dance bars, and accused the State government of supporting them. He said hookah parlours and dance bars could not function without police protection.

The BJP MLA Mr Devendra Phadanvis and his MNS counterpart Mr Nitin Sardesai also spoke about the number of illegal dance bars thriving in different parts of Mumbai. “Everybody knows about them except the police,” the legislators observed.

Mr Phadanvis alleged of a police link in the dance bars operational in the suburban Kandivali (west), Dahisar and Grant Road.

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