The first death anniversary of Bal Thackeray was marred by differences within the family as elder son Jayadev and estranged nephew Raj skipped the Shivaji Park memorial to pay homage to the Shiv Sena supremo on Sunday. While Raj maintained a stoic silence,it is learnt that both he and Jayadev disapprove of the manner in which Bal Thackerays son Uddhav organised the memorial. I dont feel like going to the Shivaji Park memorial. I have already paid a tribute to my father in my house, said Jayadev,who resides in Bandra,close to Thackerays Matoshree residence. Meanwhile,BJP patriarch L K Advani,NCP president Sharad Pawar and more than a lakh people turned up at the memorial. Uddhav,accompanied by his wife Rashmi and sons Aditya and Tajas,arrived early morning and stayed the entire day. Jayadev,who shared a tense relationship with the Sena chief,further said,How is it that Shiv Sena leaders who easily get land for resorts cannot acquire a decent land for Thackerays memorial? Look at the manner in which Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has planned the Sardar Vallabhai memorial. A lot of planning went into the memorial. They acquired land. He added that he was opposed to a memorial at Mahalaxmi Race Course or Shivaji Park. Let us not disturb existing places. Shivaji Park should remain as it is,complete with a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji,which is its identity. Similarly,Mahalaxmi should continue with its Race Course. Uddhav,meanwhile,chose to ignore Jayadevs outburst. A close aide and senior Sena leader said,The people will soon realise who has made Jayadev utter these words There is nothing to comment on this day. A senior Sena functionary added,If there were problems with the memorial,it could have been discussed in the family. Why make it public? An old-timer in the Sena said,Even when Bal Thackeray was alive,he had some issues with Jayadev. Raj also parted from the Sena to form a separate party,the MNS. But last year,they all came together during the funeral. We hoped they would come together at Shivaji Park as well. Another Sena leader said the MNS had been trying to scuttle the memorial at Shivaji Park. MNS corporators were the first to find fault when the decision to make a memorial in Shivaji Park was taken. They complained against the Sena,saying it would affect their rain harvest project. They wanted to show Sena could not set up a memorial at the end of one year. Now that we have succeeded,they cannot take in their stride, he said. But an MNS general secretary,requesting anonymity,said Sena is a separate party. It can do what it thinks is right. Why blame MNS for Senas failure? It is Sena leaders and sainiks who are finding faults,not us.
