After Mr Eknath Shinde staged a rebellion that led to the split in the Shiv Sena, he now eyes to take the control of the upcoming Balasaheb Thackeray National Memorial that is coming up at the Mayor’s Bungalow at Shivaji Park. Days after Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray chief Mr Uddhav Thackeray released the video on the upcoming Balasaheb Thackeray National Memorial, Mr Shinde, who heads the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena, along with the Deputy Chief Minister Mr Devendra Fadnavis visited the Mayor’s Bungalow and reviewed the construction of the Memorial. Incidentally, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority is the nodal agency, which was appointed by the Maha Vikash Aghadi government, and comes under the CM’s authority.
The first phase of the memorial is expected to be ready by May 2023 it will be fully completed by the end of next year. The project has been conceived by the Balasaheb Thackeray Memorial Trust, which was established in 2018, headed by former minister Mr Aaditya Thackeray while former minister Mr Subhash Desai is its secretary.
Although Mr Shinde and Mr Fadnavis did not drop any hints on the takeover of the Memorial by the government, the BJP legislator Mr Prasad Lad demanded that the Maharashtra government should take over the Memorial. Lad said a memorial cannot belong to any family or person. ‘’An individual from the Thackeray family can be the member of the memorial committee," he said.
Former chief minister Thackeray had said earlier this month the history of Shiv Sena and Bal Thackeray's speeches will be the highlights of the memorial. Senior Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Subhash Desai had said the memorial is the state government's project and is getting the necessary funds from the government.
Mr Shinde, who is leaving no stone unturned to checkmate his former boss and the Shiv Sena UBT chief Mr Uddhav Thackeray, today declared that the Memorial will be thrown open for the public and it will inspire the people. CM claimed that the state government, which has already earmarked Rs 400 crore for the Memorial, is committed to complete the first phase on a war footing adding that the government will complete the necessary procedures for the completion of the second phase.
Mr Fadnavis shared Mr Shinde’s views saying that the government wants the Memorial to be completed well in time. Although he did not make any comment on whether the government would take over its administration, Mr Fadnavis clearly said that it should not be used for private meetings as there are certain rules for the functioning of Memorials. He insisted that the stipulated rules need to be followed.
