Over 300 dance bar joints in Mumbai downed their shutters from midnight on Thursday night to protest against Maharashtra government's decision to close such bars in rest of the state.

"The government cannot fool us," Bar Association of Mumbai president Manjit Sethi said. "They want to sow a rift between us and break our unity through such disparity.

In Maharashtra, dance bars only in Mumbai

"But the dance bars in the city will remain closed to show their solidarity with the bars in rest of the state, which have been ordered to close down," he said.

He also said Home Minister R R Patil will be gheraoed by bar girls unless the decision is revoked.