Tag: bal thackeray memorial

Categories
Big story

Shiv Sena gives in on memorial issue

The Chief Minister didn’t relent. The BMC chief remained firm. Other parties attacked the idea. Shiv Sena now gives in.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

It started as a raucous free-for-all, even before the ashes of the late Bal Thackeray could be immersed in the ocean and a reasonable period of time could elapse after his death, for a controversy using his name to begin and burn harder by the day. But a controversy did erupt, about making the makeshift memorial dedicated to Thackeray a permanent site, and as the days passed, the Shiv Sena’s stubborn demands began to be viewed with annoyance.

Now, after the State Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) chief Sitaram Kunte remained firm on their stand that the makeshift memorial would have to be removed – the CM even refused to grant permission for a permanent memorial at Shivaji Park citing ‘legal issues’ – the Shiv Sena has reluctantly agreed to dismantle the makeshift memorial.

Replying to the December 3 notice that Kunte had sent to Sena MP Sanjay Raut and mayor Sunil Prabhu, asking them to remove the temporary structure at the earliest, Raut has now agreed that the Shiv Sena will remove the structure and level the ground over which it stands before handing it over to the Government.

This comes days after hundreds of Shiv Sainiks arrived at the spot to ‘guard’ the memorial from BMC action, in day-and-night shifts. The party had previously sworn to guard the memorial come what may, and that if the BMC tried to forcibly remove the memorial, Sena MP Sanjay Raut had said, “there could be law and order problems in the city.”

Earlier this week, as news of BMC’s vans being readied at their Worli garage to arrive at Shivaji Park did the rounds, six vans were vandalised by Sainiks. The BMC chief then called for the vandals to be suitably penalised, while holding firm on the notice sent to the Sena on removing the memorial.

 

 

Categories
Big story

Bal Thackeray makeshift memorial still stands

Shiv Sena warns against State and BMC decision to remove the memorial from Shivaji Park; several Sainiks ‘guarding’ the site.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

It seems that the time for the removal of the makeshift Bal Thackeray memorial at Shivaji Park is drawing close. The Park is witnessing heavy police presence, and the numbers of Shiv Sainiks pouring in to ‘guard’ the memorial from demolition are also on the rise. Reports say that a few BMC vehicles used in razing structures were damaged at the BMC’s Worli garage, after a rumour spread that a demolition squad was arriving at Shivaji Park soon.

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray passed away last month. After his demise, a tussle between the Shiv Sena and the State, followed by the Shiv Sena and other parties, including the MNS, started over, of all things, a memorial to the late leader.

A makeshift memorial was erected at Shivaji Park for Thackeray’s followers to pay respects to him before he was cremated at the Park itself. The State had given permission for the memorial on the understanding that the Shiv Sena would have it removed just days after it had served its purpose.

However, the days passed by and the Sena made no move to remove the memorial. Senior Sena leaders such as party spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut expressed the opinion that the memorial be allowed to stay, in fact, a permanent memorial to Thackeray be built at the spotThe State then gave Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) chief Sitaram Kunte orders to have the memorial removed. That only riled the Sena more – the party threatened that if the memorial was touched, there would be a law and order problem in the city.

The Sena-led BMC has also decided to pass a resolution to rename Shivaji Park as ‘Shivtirth’ in memory of Thackeray. However, the State will have the final say in this matter. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan is not amused by the Sena’s antics, and has declared that “nobody can take the law in their hands” in the matter.

(Picture courtesy ibnlive.com)

 

Categories
Big story

Why not on Kohinoor Mill land, Joshi sir?

Congress alleges that Manohar Joshi doesn’t want the proposed Bal Thackeray memorial to come up on the Kohinoor Mill land.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

It has been just days after Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s death, but the political mudslinging is plumbing newer deaths. The demand that a memorial dedicated to Thackeray be set up at Shivaji Park, where the Sena founder was cremated on November 17, 2012, has attracted its share of controversy already. The latest is the State Congress’ allegation that Manohar Joshi is insistent on the Shivaji Park site because he doesn’t want it to be set up at Kohinoor Mills, a land which he owns.

It may be remembered that the demand for a Bal Thackeray memorial was first mooted by Joshi, a senior Sainik and ex-Chief Minister of the State. While the demand was upheld by the Shiv Sena and approved in principle by the NCP, the Prithviraj Chavan-led State Government maintained that while it had no opposition to the memorial being built, the Shivaji Park site could not be immediately approved in lieu of several legal tangles.

To this, Joshi said that the Shiv Sena was prepared to “even take the law in its hands” over the memorial issue.

‘Why insist on Shivaji Park?’

Joshi’s comment drew a sharp response from the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), whose spokesperson Sachin Sawant issued a statement yesterday. “Manohar Joshi has been a former Lok Sabha Speaker. Such language (of taking the law in their own hands) is not expected of him,” Sawant said. “It is difficult to understand why Joshi sir is insisting on Shivaji Park for the memorial. Many have voiced their opinion that the memorial can also be built on the Kohinoor Mill land. We feel that Joshi does not want the memorial to come up on the ‘Kohinoor’ of his wealth, which is why he is trying his best for Shivaji Park,” he added.

Sawant also said, “The Shiv Sena played its politics in the name of Shivaji, for 46 years. However, even Balasaheb Thackeray would not have been pleased with the tussle over his memorial, and the insistence on it being at Shivaji Park and nowhere else.” He added that the Chief Minister had made the position on the issue very clear. “If anyone insists on going against people’s wishes (Shivaji Park residents have consistently opposed the idea of the memorial), the State Government will have to take stern action against them,” he said.

(Picture courtesy PTI)

 

Exit mobile version