The Bombay High Court on Tuesday refused to pass any urgent orders granting relief from coercive action to hotels and restaurants in the city for failing to adhere to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's directive for putting up signboards in Marathi. A division bench of Justices R D Dhanuka and M G Sewlikar said it would hear on Friday (July 8) the petition filed by the Indian Hotel and Restaurants Association (AHAR) seeking extension of deadline to put up signboards in Marathi Devnagari script.

The BMC had directed all shops and establishments in the city to put up signboards in Marathi prominently by May 31. The association had challenged the validity of the May 31 deadline to change the language, font size and order of the language on the signboards.