Defying the government’s appeal and order to desist from celebrating Dahi Handi amid fears of a third COVID wave, workers from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena went ahead with the revelry across Mumbai and Thane on Tuesday. The Mumbai police registered eight FIRs against over 50 people, most of them associated with MNS.

MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar and many from the Raj Thackeray-led party gathered at Kalachowki to participate in Dahi Handi in a ground. They were stopped by the police from entering the venue. “The police are doing their work based on instructions given by the government and we are going to celebrate  Dahi Handi in a symbolic way and one can see that we have not called many people too,” said Nandgaonkar, who then broke a ‘handi’ along with his party men. They were detained by the police. The scene repeated in Worli.