HC restores contempt petition against Raj Thackeray

Bombay High Court today restored a contempt petition against MNS chief Raj Thackeray over his alleged remarks against the court last year.
Division bench of Justices P V Hardas and Mridula Bhatkar restored the petition filed by advocate Ezaj Naqvi, seeking action against Raj for contempt of court. The petition had been dismissed earlier as Naqvi failed to appear before the court.
The bench today also directed Union Ministries of Law and Judiciary and Information and Broadcasting to file their replies by June.
The state Advocate General has already given a nod for initiating action. While the Union Law Ministry has to give its opinion, the I&B Ministry was made respondent because it has footage of the speech.

According to Naqvi, Raj had referred to a Bombay High Court decision of February 2012 as "partisan".
The HC, on February 5 last year, rejected a petition filed by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena seeking permission to hold a rally at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai, on the ground that the area fell under 'silence zone'.
Raj allegedly criticised the court's ruling, calling it partisan. "The remark scandalises the High Court and tends to lower its authority and dignity. The remark cast unwarranted aspersion of partiality against the High Court," the petition says.