'Thackeray funeral permit at Shivaji Park was conditional'

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said permission for the funeral of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray at Shivaji Park in Dadar was "conditional". "The permission given for funeral at Shivaji Park was conditional. The fact that notices have been issued to the Mayor and Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut to remove the make-shift memorial means that the process of action is on," Chavan said.

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When asked what would the state government do if the make-shift memorial of Thackeray was not removed from Shivaji Park, he refused to reply, saying, "You don't expect me to answer this question here." On the proposed statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the Arabian sea, the chief minister said the process to seek permission from the environment ministry was on.

Earlier, Chavan had said that the state government would not do anything in violation of the law with regard to Sena's demand to set up a memorial at the spot, as the matter with regard to Shivaji Park, which has been declared as a silence zone, is pending in the High Court. While the government is of the view that it is a recreation ground, the court says it is a playground in which case no construction will be possible, he had said.