Wednesday 16 Jul 2025

Another controversy over Balasaheb's memorial

Senior Shiv Sena leaders want Sena supremo’s memorial at Shivaji Park

Ruma Bose / For The Goan | DECEMBER 01, 2012, 08:33 AM IST

Where would the grand memorial of Shiv Sena supremo BalThackeray in Mumbai be? The historic Shivaji Park, the Indu Mills or theKohinoor Mills? The issue of where the memorial of Balasaheb would be is fastcompounding into a major political issue and controversy. And its echo woulddefinitely be felt at the winter session of Maharashtra Legislature in Nagpur.

The Shiv Sena – and a majority of its leaders – former LokSabha Speaker Dr Manohar Joshi, Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut, whois also the Executive Editor of Saamana, the party mouthpiece are rooting forShivaji Park. They want a statue of the Sena supremo near the statue ofChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the great Maratha warrior.

But Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan in a way rules it out,saying that it is reserved for playgrounds – and since the Shivaji Park matterhas been to the Bombay High Court, the Maharashtra Government does not want totake any chance.

Dr Joshi, however, had indicated that the Shiv Sena was firmon erecting a memorial for Bal Thackeray at Shivaji Park,  Chavan ruling it out and hinted that amemorial would be erected “Shiv Sena style”.

 A corporator of RajThackeray’s Maharashtra Navniraman Sena, Sandeep Deshpande had virtuallyopposed Shiv Sena’s demand for a memorial at Shivaji Park, and suggested thatit should be built on Indu Mill land where Dalits want a memorial for DrBabasaheb Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Constitution.

The government has been negotiating with the Centre to getthe land released from National Textile Corporation (NTC) before December 6,the death anniversary of Dr Ambedkar. Hitting back at MNS, Dr BabasahebAmbedkar’s grandson and Republican Sena leader Anandraj Ambedkar had demandedthat Thackeray memorial should be built on Kohinoor Mill land located oppositeShiv Sena Bhavan.

 The 4.9 acre plot atthe defunct Kohinoor Mill was purchased by a company owned by MatoshreeInfrastructure, a company owned by Raj Thackeray and Manohar Joshi’s sonUnmesh, in an NTC auction in 2005 for Rs 421 crore, beating several other highprofile bidders. MNS headquarters and a new multi-storeyed tower, KohinoorSquare stands on the land now.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena’s Standing Committee chairman RahulShewale, and Mayor Sunil Prabhu have said a proposal to construct a Thackeraymemorial inside the Mayor’s official bungalow at Shivaji Park was underconsideration of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. However, Shiv Sena hasofficially maintained a silence over their proposal. The Mayor’s bungalow is asea-facing property located exactly behind the spot where Thackeray’s statefuneral took place.

“Why should there be any controversy on the land or the memorial?The memorial of Dr Ambedkar was approved in both houses of the statelegislature as well by all political parties. It has even received anin-principle approval from Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. We expect thestate to fast track the entire issue and handover the land as well as theapprove the memorial,”  Women and ChildWelfare Minister Varsha Gaikwad said.

Share this