Bombay HC issues notice to memorial trust

Mumbai: The Bombay high court issued a notice to a government trust, the Balasaheb Thackeray Rashtriya Smarak Samiti, which was created by the state government to construct the memorial to the Shiv Sena founder at the mayor’s bungalow.

A division bench of Chief Justice N.H. Patil and Justice N.M. Jamdar was hearing two petitions challenging the state’s decision to convert the mayor’s bungalow in central Mumbai into a memorial to Bal Thackeray. Activist Bhagwanji Rayani and NGO Jan Mukti Morcha filed the petitions in April 2017 when the government had proposed to set up the memorial.

The court also issued a notice to the trust, which was set up in September 2016, seeking its reply on the issue. The petitioners also raised objections to the setting up of the trust and said of its 11 members, six are private persons. “The six permanent members include Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena chief) and (his son) Aaditya Thackeray. If it is a government trust, how can private persons be made permanent members?” said advocate Uday Warunjikar, who represented the NGO.

The petitions also challenged a recent amendment to a provision in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act by which the civic body chief is permitted to lease any immovable property owned by the BMC to any person at a nominal rate of Rs 1 per year.

Advocate Pradip Hav-nur, who represented one of the petitioners, argued, “The memorial makers are planning to build an underground memorial and digging work will begin soon. Therefore, they should, at least, know that the petition is going on in the HC and whatever order court will be passed in the future will be binding upon them.”

Mr Warunjikar said, “We are not seeking any stay from the court, but they (trustees) should be made aware of the petition.” The court kept the hearing on February 12.