[1]Two days after he was rumoured dead, Balasaheb Thackeray, the chief of the Shiv Sena, passed away on Saturday. He was 86 and had been seriously ill since July. As the news spread, people rushed home.
Mumbai shut down, while the crowd of Shiv Sena supporters outside Matoshree grew and turned restive.
Sena leaders Sanjay Raut, Ramdas Kadam, Gajanan Kirtikar and Diwakar Rawte had to take turns appealing for calm.
Mumbai police commissioner Satyapal Singh said a high alert was issued in the state and policemen attached to all police stations had been asked to patrol the streets. He asked Mumbaikars to not step out unless necessary. The funeral of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, who died on Saturday, will be held on Sunday.
His body is to be taken in a procession from Matoshree, in the suburbs of Bandra, to Sena Bhavan, the headquarters of the Shiv Sena in Dadar, and from there to the Shivaji Park nearby.
The funeral procession will begin from Matoshree at 7 am and is expected to take three to four hours to reach Shivaji Park.
“A stage has been erected at Shivaji Park where Thackeray's body will be kept. Shiv Sena workers can pay their last respects to Balasaheb from 10 am to 5 pm,” said party leader Sanjay Raut.
He asked Shiv Sainiks to maintain law and order and not disrupt peace.
“The Thackeray family pleads with everyone to let Sunday pass peacefully,” he said.
Contrary to the rumours of a bandh in the city on Sunday, Mr Raut said no bandh will be declared.
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