HC refuses to stay Coldplay concert at BKC on Nov 19 India lodges strong protest with Pak against ceasefire violations SURGICAL STRIKE AFTERMATH

The Bombay high court on Thursday refused to stay the Global Citizens India Festival to be held at BKC on Saturday, but directed the state government to secure an undertaking from the organisers that they will pay entertainment duty as may be payable under provisions of the Bombay Entertainment Duty Act, if the court holds that they are liable to pay the duty.

A division bench of chief justice Manjula Chellur and justice MS Sonak refused to stay the programme saying as of now there wasn’t enough material placed before the court to issue any directions. The court was hearing a PIL filed by businessman Hemant Gavande and activist Anjali Damania, and a suo-motu petition based on a letter written by Thane resident Pravin Wategaonkar, challenging the validity of the state government’s decision to grant an exemption from payment of entertainment duty to the organisers of the Global Citizen India Festival.

The state government contended that the performance of British band Coldplay is just part of an eight-hour long programme and is meant to attract the young generation. The purpose of the is to create awareness about 17 universal goals set up by the United Nations and global leaders in various fields will be attending the event, said acting advocate general Rohit Deo.

India on Thursday lodged a strong protest with Pakistan for its continued violation of ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) and condemned increased concentration of terrorists in the vicinity of the neighbouring country’s forward posts.

This is the third such demarche India issued to Pakistan this month as tension between the two neighbours spiked in the wake of terror attack on an army camp in Uri in September. India blamed Pakistan for the attack.

The Ministry of External Affairs called in a counselor rank official of the Pakistan High Commission on Wednesday to issue the demarche on the continued violation of ceasefire along the LoC, the ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

“We conveyed that despite calls for restraint, Pakistan forces have committed twelve ceasefire violations between November 9 and November 15, 2016 during which Pakistan Army deliberately resorted to caliber escalation by employing artillery and 120 millimeter heavy mortars against Indian posts”, he said.

Sawrup said the violent acts were a clear violation of the Ceasefire Agreement of 2003.