The Bombay High Court on Thursday refused to grant a stay on the performance of British rock band Coldplay at the Global Citizen Festival India 2016. The court, however, directed the organisers of GCFI to give an undertaking to pay the entertainment duty waived off for the show by the government in case the court directs so in the future.
A PIL was filed by activist Anjali Damania and Hemant Gawande before the division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice MS Sonak challenging the government's decision to waive off the entertainment duty for the concert, scheduled for November 19 at MMRDA grounds in Bandra Kurla Complex( BKC). The PIL said that it challenges the validity of the government's decision on the grounds that the entertainment duty would be waived off only on the shows organised for charity or educational purposes.
Acting Advocate General Rohit Deo informed the court that it was not just a rock show but an eight-hour long programme, and that the performance by Coldplay was just a part of it.
Deo added that the festival was to create awareness and educate people, mostly the youth, about gender equality, education and clean water, which is part of the 17 sustainable goals of the United Nations. After hearing the arguments, the court held that it could not accept the plea of the petitioners at the current stage, but also maintained that in the interest of justice, it could not throw away the petition.
