Memorial at Matoshree?

Mumbai: There have been calls on social media for the Bal Thackeray memorial to be built at Matoshree instead of the mayor’s bungalow. The demand has come in the wake of reports of Uddhav Thackeray constructing a five-storey apartment a few metres away from Matoshree in Kalanagar. One of the loudest voices is Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam, an ex-Sainik.

The issue of Bal Thackeray memorial has been shaking the politics in the state for quite some time. Even post his death in 2012, there was a demand that Matoshree be converted into his memorial. But the Shiv Sena insisted one having it at Shivaji Park, Dadar. Hence, the mayor’s bungalow was the default choice.

Mr Nirupam said that there are reports of Uddhav Thackeray constructing a building in Kalanagar and shifting there. So it would be apt to construct Balasaheb’s memorial at Matoshree,” he said.

Mr Nirupam added that the house where Bal Thackeray breathed his last was allotted to him by the government under the artists’ quota. “He stayed there for long. Hence, instead of taking up the mayor bungalow, Matoshree should be used as memorial,” he explained. Mr Nirupam also claimed that hundreds of sainiks themselves want the memorial at Matoshree.

However, the Sena is tight-lipped about Mr Nirupam’s suggestion. “Does anyone in the Congress listens to Nirupam? Then why should we bother?” said Arvind Bhosale, Shiv Sena spokesperson.

The BJP has come out in support of allotting the mayor’s bungalow for the Bal Thackeray memorial. “The Congress shouldn’t preach this, look at their leaders, where maximum government places have been constructed into memorials for their leaders including Shaktisthal of Indira Gandhi.

Once the government has decided on the mayor bungalow then there shouldn’t be any further discussion on it. If Nirupam wants Matoshree, then he should move a proposal on the same in BMC via his party corporators,” said Niranjan Shetty, Mumbai BJP spokesperson.