A major controversy broke out between the ruling Shiv Sena and the principal Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra on Thursday evening, as a group of Shiv Sainiks “purified” the Bal Thackeray memorial at Shivaji Park in north-central Mumbai, hours after senior BJP leader and Union Minister Narayan Rane paid homage to the late Sena chief at the memorial before launching “Jan Ashirwad Yatra”.
In a development that brought the Shiv Sena at loggerheads with the Shiv Sena, Rane – who himself was a Shiv Sena leader in the past – visited the Bal Thackeray memorial and paid homage to the late Sena chief in the morning, ahead of his launching the “Jan Ashirwad Yatra” in the state. He was accompanied by leaders of the Opposition in the State Assembly and Council Devendra Fadnavis and Pravin Darekar respectively, during his visit to the Thackeray edifice.
Appa Patil, the memorial care-taker and Shiv Sena functionary, washed the photo frame of late Balasaheb with “Gomutra”, performed “abshishek” and placed flowers at the memorial.
Several Shiv Sainiks were present when the “purification” ceremony took place at the memorial.
Slamming Rane after “purifying” the Thackeray memorial, Patil said: “After leaving the Shiv Sena, Rane had never come here even once. He called Uddhav Thackeray sahib, who is considered one of the top five Chief Ministers in the country, all kinds of names. We are loyalists of the Thackeray family. We will not tolerate this kind of act by any one. That’s why we purified the Thackeray memorial. I come here every day”.
Patil also complained that he had come to the memorial in the morning, but the police did not allow me to go near the memorial. “After that, I became restless. I cannot let anyone commit sacrilege at the memorial. It was for this reason that I performed abhishek with milk and purified the memorial,” he said.
Earlier in the day, after the news of Rane visiting the Thackeray memorial spread in the city, Shiv Sena MP Vinayak Raut had lodged a severe protest saying that the Sena would not let the Union Minister go anywhere near the Thackeray memorial.
“Rane has no moral right to go anywhere near the Thackeray memorial,” Raut had said.
Raut’s threat had sparked speculation that Rane might cancel his visit to the Thackeray memorial. However, the Union Minister went ahead with his scheduled visit to the memorial, amid tight security arrangements.
Rane— who was the Shiv Sena chief minister for a brief period between February 1 1999 and October 17 1999 during the Sena-BJP alliance rule in Maharashtra between 1995-1999—also visited Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar’s memorial located in the neighbourhood.
Talking to media persons, Rane said Balasaheb Thackeray might not be alive, but he would bless him to do the good work for the people. “Through my ministry, I will work towards generating employment opportunities. The BJP will win the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls next year and the task of ensuring victory in the BMC has been vested with all BJP leaders, including myself”.