A day after the cremation of veteran singer Lata Mangeshkar at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday demanded a memorial of the singer at the ground where her last rites were conducted.
“I have written a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expressing the emotions of her millions of fans that the place where last rites on Lata didi were performed should be converted in to her memorial,” said BJP spokesperson and MLA Ram Kadam.
The Congress too did not oppose the demand saying a memorial at par with the stature of legendary late singer should be constructed on Shivaji Park. “The party believes that a memorial which will make keep the memories of Lata didi alive should be constructed at Shivaji Park,” said State Congress president Nana Patole.
Shivaji Park at Dadar area of central Mumbai is one of the historical grounds in the city. The place is also the venue of annual Dussehra rally of Shiv Sena for decades now. After the death of Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray, the then Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan allowed to conduct his last rites at the ground for his close association with the place.
A small memorial of Thackeray was constructed at a place where the cremation took place. Every year on the death anniversary of the Sena founder, his family and followers pay tributes at the Park.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress leadership which had come under criticism for not sending senior Ministers to the last rites of the singer as representatives, on Tuesday said that three of its senior ministers are down with COVID-19 and Mr. Patole lost his relative as a result of which he had to be with his family.
