Bombay HC Upholds Thackeray Memorial at Mayor's Bungalow

Mumbai, Jul 1 (PTI) — The Bombay High Court on Tuesday declined to intervene in the Maharashtra government's decision to transform the Mayor's bungalow into a memorial dedicated to the late Shiv Sena founder, Bal Thackeray. The court observed that there were no substantial grounds to challenge this policy decision.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne dismissed multiple petitions, asserting that it is not the court's role to act as an appellate body over the decisions made by planning experts, unless there is a "gross violation" of planning norms.

"In essence, the action taken is merely relabeling the structure from 'Mayor's Bungalow' to 'Balasaheb Thackeray Rashtriya Smarak'," the bench remarked.

The court emphasized that the establishment of the memorial falls under the purview of a policy decision, making it inappropriate for judicial interference.

The bench further noted that the memorial's construction is nearly complete, keeping the grand architecture of the Mayor's bungalow intact and enhancing its heritage value.

Given these considerations, the court dismissed the petitions, finding no credible grounds to contest the state government's decision.

Bal Thackeray passed away in November 2012 following a brief illness.

The petitions, filed in 2017, contested the conversion of the expansive sea-side Mayor's bungalow at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai into a memorial for the Shiv Sena leader.

The pleas also objected to the inclusion of political party members and Thackeray family members in the Board of Trustees for the 'Balasaheb Thackeray Rashtriya Smarak Samiti', a government trust established to manage the memorial's operations.

In its ruling, the high court found no arbitrariness in the government's decision to appoint three Shiv Sena members and two Thackeray family members to the Board of Trustees.

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