Sushilkumar Shinde unable to attend Bal Thackeray's funeral

Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde will be unable to attend Bal Thackeray's funeral here on Sunday as he would have to stay in Delhi due to work exigency.

An order was issued recently that in absence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from Delhi due to his foreign visit from tomorrow, either Defence Minister, Finance Minister or Home Minister will stay in Delhi, official sources said.

As the other two will not be in Delhi tomorrow, Shinde will have to stay in Delhi and will not be able to attend Thackeray's funeral, they said.

Maharashtra Industries Minister Narayan Rane, a former Shiv Sainik, also wont be able to attend as he is abroad.