17 Aug 2017 | 05:11am IST
HC questions AAI on Shah meeting at airport
Asks why preferential treatment was accorded to Shah; Refuses to accept AAI submission that meeting was spontaneous
PANJIM: A Division bench of the High Court of Bombay at Goa came down heavily on the Airport Authority of India (AAI) for having allowed BJP National President Amit Shah’s public meeting at Goa’s Dabolim Airport on July 1.
Seeking to know why such preferential treatment was accorded to Shah, and as to whether he was above the law, the Court said it would pass appropriate orders on August 21 while observing that there should never be such a repeat of breaching the law at the airport.
It also questioned AAI whether such a privilege to hold such a function at the Dabolim airport was earlier ever given to anyone else.
Refusing to accept AAI’s submission that Shah’s meeting was spontaneous, the Court questioned how there was a podium, sofas, red carpet and sound system at the venue if the meeting was not pre-planned.
Advocate Aires Rodrigues in his petition has sought directions to ensure that the rule of law is upheld by holding an inquiry to fix responsibility and take action in accordance with the law against the organisers and those responsible for the meeting.
Cong seeks FIR against Shah, BJP leaders
PANJIM: Congress has demanded that an FIR be filed against BJP national President Amit Shah, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and other BJP leaders for Shah’s public meeting at Dabolim International Airport in violation of the laws. Hours after the High Court reserved its order for August 21, Congress demanded action against officials of the Defence Ministry and Airport Authority of India (AAI) for failing to take any action in the matter. “Shah should have been arrested on the same day for holding meeting at the airport in violation of laws of Defence India Act. It is a criminal trespass,” Congress President Shantaram Naik said. “The meeting held at the airport was a well planned meeting and hence it is the responsibility of the government to file an FIR against Shah and all other prominent BJP leaders who were part of the meeting,” Naik demanded. Naik said that the Defence Ministry should take serious note of the illegal act and take necessary action against Shah. “The land where airport is situated belongs to Defence Ministry, who later handed over it to AAI. Hence they too are responsible,” he said.
