Prohibiting liquor in Dance bar is completely arbitrary: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Wednesday observed  that the new Maharashtra Law prohibiting Liquor in dance bar is completely arbitrary, absurd and it indicates towards state’s mentality which is “absolutely regressive by centuries”.
Despite the judgment, the Maharashtra government has refused to back down, giving the reasoning that State has absolute right to ban liquor wherever they want within the state.
Justice Dipak Mishra, who headed the bench then argued that what will be the point of giving licenses to bars and allowing dance performance if no liquor will be provided. Jayant Bhushan, who represented dance bar owners, also argued that the State government wanted “juice dance bars” instead of real ones.
Justice Mishra remarked :
“Dancers are allowed to dance in dance bars, you (State) take steps to protect their dignity. But a ban on serving liquor will affect their rights. You can ban liquor in a hotel, but dance bars should be barred from such bans.”
The new law titled Maharashtra Prohibition of Obscene Dance in Hotels, Restaurants and Bar Rooms and Protection of Dignity of Women (working therein) Act, 2016 was passed by the State Assembly to override the judgment given by Supreme Court in  2014 which had ordered dance bars to be thrown  open again and classified dance as a profession.