MUMBAI: Almost six years after former corporator Ritu Tawade proposed a ban on lingerie mannequins, the BMC said there was nothing indecent about such displays in shop windows. In its reply, the BMC said that in an international city where swimming contests and beauty pageants are held, lingerie on mannequins does not come across as indecent.The BMC reiterated that it had no powers under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act 1888 to take action against shops displaying women's underwear. The reply is to be discussed in the upcoming law committee meeting of the BMC.Tawade, a former BJP corporator from Ghatkopar , had sought the ban saying lingerie mannequins display a woman's body only for "advertising" and unnecessarily attract male attention.The BMC reply said that it had sought directions from the state government as an authorised government gazetted officer can take action under the Indecent Representation of Women ( Prohibition ) Act, 1986.Superintendent of licence department Sharad Bande said the BMC had sent nine letters to the government. "The issue has been repeatedly discussed in the civic law committee. We have sent them a reply that in an international city like Mumbai where there are swimming contests and beauty pageants there is nothing indecent about such mannequins under the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986," he said.He said that they always took action against mannequins on footpaths or encroaching on road space.Congress corporator Tulip Miranda, a member of the law committee, said such mannequins were objectionable and she would object to the BMC reply. "Our society set-up is not yet ready for these things, I believe," she said. Bandra resident Madhu Poplai from the Pali Hill Residents Association said corporators should pick up more important issues."There are several civic problems pertaining to roads, water supply, sanitation that need to be dealt with, but corporators instead chose such non-significant issues," she said. "At a time when advertisements on sanitary napkins can be shown, then why should such mannequins displaying lingerie be a problem?"

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