Don't care if law comes in way of Bal Thackeray's memorial: Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi

Nashik: Intensifying its demand for Bal Thackeray's memorial at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, the Shiv Sena on Monday said that the party would not budge from its stand irrespective of legal implications. "We don't care if any law is coming in the way to raise Balasaheb's memorial at Shivaji Park," said senior party leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Manohar Joshi.

He was speaking to reporters in Nashik after attending a condolence meeting at Kalidas auditorium. Joshi was the first leader to raise the demand for late Thackeray's memorial at Shivaji Park ground where the Shiv Sena supremo used to address party rallies.

Joshi was referring to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan's statement that the state government would not do anything in violation of the law with regard to Shiv Sena's demand to set up the memorial. "Nothing will be done which will violate the law," Chavan had said, adding he has not received any proposal for a memorial for the late leader so far.

Manohar Joshi is the first Shiv Sena leader to raise the demand for late Bal Thackeray\'s memorial at Shivaji Park.

Manohar Joshi's language condemnable: Congress

Maharashtra Congress on Sunday alleged that Joshi was adamant on construction of late Bal Thackeray's memorial at Shivaji Park to divert attention from his own property at Kohinoor land. "His language to take law in hands is condemnable. He was the speaker of the Lok Sabha. We didn't expect that from him," Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) spokesperson Sachin Sawant said in a release.

Sawant questioned, "Why is Joshi adamant on construction of the memorial at Shivaji Park? It is difficult to understand." Hitting out at the leader, Sawant said it seems that Joshi is continuously demanding Shivaji Park "to divert attention from his own property at Kohinoor land".

"Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has clarified the government's stand on the memorial. Shiv Sena is politicising the issue," he said.

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