The serpentine queue of Shiv Sainiks at Shivaji Park displayed discipline and reverence while paying tribute to Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on his first death anniversary on Sunday.
The crowd started shouting ‘Balasaheb’ slogans only after reaching the memorial. Later, the Sainiks chanted Uddhav’s name showing acceptance as their leader, the sombre atmosphere was filled with cheering.
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray with his wife and sons – Aditya, who is the president of Yuva Sena and Tejas – paid tribute to Bal Thackeray in the morning and remained at the ground as visitors trooped in. Senior political leaders, including from opposition parties, who had a good rapport with Bal Thackeray paid him homage at Smruti Udyan, the memorial at Shivaji Park grounds where he was cremated last year.
The BMC has beautified the spot with plants and flowers as no concrete construction is allowed on the park because it comes under Coastal Regulatory Zone Regulations.
Those who paid tributes to the Sena chief included governor K Sankaranarayanan, veteran BJP leader LK Advani, NCP chief and Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, along with his daughter and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule, senior NCP minister Praful Patel, state PWD minister Chhagan Bhujbal, BJP leader Gopinath Munde and RPI chief Ramdas Athawale. Actor Vivek Oberoi and Milind Gunaji and industrialists Venugopal Dhoot and Rahul Bajaj also paid their tributes. The Bachchans, who are known to be close to the Thackerays, were not present. Four diabetes check-up camps were organised at Shivaji Park. Sainiks also thronged stalls selling CDs and literature on Bal Thackeray.
The civic body had arranged for five water tankers and five mobile toilets outside Shivaji Park along with conservancy staff who worked in three shifts to ensure that the area is kept clean.
Tattoo tribute
Tattoo artist Vishwas Dorwekar, 42, had a busy day on Sunday as Shiv sainiks thronged his parlour at Shivaji Park to get inked. Shankar Jore, joint secretary of Sena-led Hindustan Mathadi Transport and general Kamgar Sena, got Thackeray’s face tattooed on his back. Dorwekar, who has an experience of more than 30 years, said it was an honour to ink Balasaheb’s tattoo on the Sainiks.
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