Priyanka KakodkarMumbai: Admitting that although dance bars were banned in the state, they were exploiting a loophole in order to continue functioning, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis told the state assembly on Tuesday that the govt would move to amend the Bombay Police Act to bar the grant of performance licences to such establishments.“Dance bars have been banned in the state after consistent efforts. However, we have found that they get a performance licence instead under the Bombay Police Act. We will get this law amended during this session,” said Fadnavis, who holds the home portfolio. “Performances and dance bars should be treated differently,” he emphasized.BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar said, “Dance bars were banned in the state in 2005. It’s a pity that in 2026, we still need to discuss the same issue because it has not been wiped out.”Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh said that dance bars and beer bars were functioning in the Bhiwandi and Kalyan areas. “These are areas where there is a lot of labour. As a result, there are hotels and beer bars that operate till late in the night,” he said.The issue was raised in the state assembly by the Congress party’s Nana Patole. He said it had come to his attention that orchestra bars and ladies bars were functioning in the Thane, Bhiwandi, Kalyan and Dombivli areas. This had not only created traffic problems but was also a danger to the security of women in the area, he pointed out.ends
