MNS has proved that it is willing to stoop as low as necessary, as long as it can keep its dahi handi revelries at a high.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2016/aug/Human-pyramid.jpg" alt="" /> Jai Jawan Mitra Mandal&rsquo;s 9-tier pyramid salutes MNS&rsquo; 40-ft handi
Exploiting a loophole, the party&rsquo;s Thane unit brazenly allowed a nine-tier human pyramid that went higher than 40 feet &mdash; double the height limit set by apex court and the Bombay High Court. While Thane chief of MNS Avinash Jadhav claimed they had broken no rules, he was booked by the Thane Police for disobedience and culpable homicide.
Watch Video:<a href="http://www.mid-day.com/articles/video-sc-order-on-dahi-handi-who-cares-mumbai-defies-the-law/17560182" target="_blank"> SC order on 'Dahi Handi'? Who cares. Mumbai defies the law</a>
<img title="MNS Thane chief, Avinash Jadhav flaunted his defiance with a T-shirt slogan that translates to &lsquo;I will break the rule&rsquo;. Pics/Sameer Markande, Satej Shinde" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2016/aug/Avinash-Jadhav.jpg" alt="MNS Thane chief, Avinash Jadhav flaunted his defiance with a T-shirt slogan that translates to &lsquo;I will break the rule&rsquo;. Pics/Sameer Markande, Satej Shinde" /> MNS Thane chief, Avinash Jadhav flaunted his defiance with a T-shirt slogan that translates to &lsquo;I will break the rule&rsquo;. Pics/Sameer Markande, Satej Shinde
Soon after the SC ruling last week, Jadhav had announced that he had no intention of obeying the rules. He flaunted his defiance yesterday as well, with a T-shirt that stated: &lsquo;Ho Mi Kayda Modnar&rsquo; (I will break the rule).
On August 17, the SC upheld a 2014 order from the high court that restricted the height of human pyramids to 20 feet and also banned the participation of minors in the risky sport. Justifying the 9-layer human pyramid that went above 40 feet, Jadhav pointed to a loophole in the language of the HC order, which states (point number 7): &lsquo;So far as heights of the pyramid are concerned, we direct the State Government to issue circular directing that.&rsquo;
&ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t violated the court order. The handis were at 20 feet. The mandal that made the 9-layer human pyramid didn&rsquo;t break the handi &mdash; they just stood at a distance and saluted it. So, no law has been broken here,&rdquo; he said.
Read Story: <a href="http://www.mid-day.com/articles/sc-ignored-as-dahi-handi-celebrated-with-protests-black-flags-in-maharashtra/17560160" target="_blank">SC ignored as dahi-handi celebrated with protests, black flags in Maharashtra</a>
Not only did he defy the spirit of the law, but he is also guilty of violating the very technicality he was quoting. When mid-day&rsquo;s photographer went to Bhagwati Maidan to take a peek at the MNS celebrations, he found that a dahi handi had actually been tied at the height of 40 feet, while two other handis were hanging at the permissible height of 20 feet. The 40-foot handi was taken down by 1 pm, but not before this paper got a few pictures. The photographer also witnessed Jogeshwari&rsquo;s Jai Jawan Mitra Mandal forming their 9-tier pyramid that climbed up to the 40-foot handi and saluted it.
&ldquo;Whatever I did, I did for the community. Why are all the rules only for our community? No pandals on the road for Ganpati festival, height restrictions for dahi handi. If I have to face action for my people, I am ready for it,&rdquo; Jadhav told mid-day. The Jai Jawan Mitra Mandal coach, Sandeep, was unavailable for comment.
Jadhav&rsquo;s bravado seems to have backfired, however, he has been booked in an FIR that includes a charge of culpable homicide. Thane CP Param Bir Singh confirmed, &ldquo;Prima facie, we found that the guidelines were violated, including the height of the human pyramid. At present, we have registered a case and will examine the matter as per the conditions applied by the court. We also have footage of the event; we will examine it and action will be taken as per the law.&rdquo; JT CP Ashitosh Dhumbre added that apart from Jadhav, fellow MNS member Abhijeet Panse and 16 mandals had also been named in the case.
&mdash; Inputs by Vinay Dalvi

Exploiting a loophole, the party&rsquo;s Thane unit brazenly allowed a nine-tier human pyramid that went higher than 40 feet &mdash; double the height limit set by apex court and the Bombay High Court

Thane: How MNS exploited loophole in HC order to organise 40-feet Dahi Handi

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Home / Mumbai / Mumbai News / Article / Thane: How MNS exploited loophole in HC order to organise 40-feet Dahi Handi

Thane: How MNS exploited loophole in HC order to organise 40-feet Dahi Handi

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