Shiv Sainiks vandalize BMC office

Mumbai, Dec 11 (IBNS) Supporters of Shiv Sena on Monday night went berserk in an office of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in Worli supposedly over the BMC's refusal to permit building of a Bal Thackeray memorial permanently at Shivaji Park, where the late leader was cremated last month.

The Shiv Sena men have not yet vacated the place in Shivaji Park where Bal Thackeray was cremated and have been demanding that the spot be turned into a permanent Bal Thackeray memorial.

Police said about eight people vandalized the ward office of BMC.

BMC asks Sena to vacate Shivaji Park

Amid a row over construction of a Bal Thackeray memorial at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, the Brihan Mumbai Corporation (BMC) had earlier sent a notice to the Shiv Sena to pull down the makeshift structure at the site in the park.

The BMC reportedly also asked the Sena to restore the ground to its original state since the permission was given only for cremation for one day.

The structure remained despite the permission being given for only one day.

Earlier, Shiv Sena working president Uddhav Thackeray has said that the row over a memorial of late Sena chief Bal Thackeray is unnecessary at this stage.

He said the memorial controversy should not be a big issue now.

The government in Maharashtra earlier indicated that they will not do anything unlawful.

Sena chief Bal Thackeray, a self styled champion of Maratha pride, died at age 86 on Nov 17, ending an era in Maharashtra and national politics in course of which many opposed to his functioning struggled to come to terms with his brand of firebrand nationalism, but could never ignore his influence.

He left behind his legacy for his son Uddhav Thackeray, who now heads Shiv Sena, and his nephew Raj Thackeray who in his lifetime had formed a separate party called Maharashtra Navnirmal Sena (MNS) after differences with the Sena.