Opposition Congress and the Nationalist Congress party, which had repeatedly banned dance bars since 2005 but failed to pass the legal test, support the move.
They may quibble and oppose each other on every other issue, but when it comes to banning dance bars, Maharashtra's politicians stand shoulder to shoulder. A week after the Supreme Court had ordered that dance bars be given licenses March 15, the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena government has decided to bring another bill to stop them reopening.
"Our opinion and that of the Supreme Court is different. In the assembly we can exercise our right. So we shall express our right through a law,"
said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Opposition Congress and the Nationalist Congress party, which had repeatedly banned dance bars since 2005 but failed to pass the legal test, support the move.
"If the government is sincere, this won't happen again. When the new bill is introduced in the assembly, we will debate on it again as we are against dance bars," senior NCP leader and lawmaker Sunil Tatkare told NDTV.
The Congress went a step further, blaming government lawyers, unhappy they failed to convince the top court.
"This is the result of the way the Maharashtra government handled this issue in court.... They should have presented their side well in the Supreme Court, which I don't think so they did it," said Congress lawmaker Anant Gadgil.
But those in the business are livid. At stake is the livelihood of 75,000 people who could work at the 1,200 dance bars across Maharashtra.
"For a decade, the government is dragging its feet on this issue. Even after the court orders, they don't want to restart dance bars. I fail to understand how they can refuse to obey court orders?" said Vinod Shetty, owner of Malik Bar.
Former Home Minister late RR Patil of the NCP was the first to push the ban in 2005, convinced dance bars were obscene and "corrupt the youth".
But despite all their efforts, on grounds of parity and the right to work, the courts have struck down the diktats. The stage is now set for another round of legislature versus judiciary.