It wasn’t just the state government that didn’t want a memorial to Bal Thackeray at the spot at Shivaji Park where he was cremated. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray is not in favour of building a memorial there either. Sources said Raj expressed his reservations when chief minister Prithviraj Chavan got in touch with him last week while the government and the Sena were in a tussle over dismantling the makeshift memorial to late Sena chief Thackeray at Shivaji Park.

Following a meeting with Sena leaders, Chavan spoke to Raj over the phone. Raj told him there was no point in building a memorial at the cremation place if locals were opposed to it, but he is okay with the alternative plan to build a garden on the periphery of Shivaji Park in memory of Thackeray, sources added.

Sources also said Chavan had planned to use force to take down the makeshift memorial if the Sena refused to, but the situation did not arise.