A month after Shiv Sena chief BalThackeray was cremated, his party workers today removed thetemporary structure at the funeral spot at Shivaji Park whichhad become a makeshift memorial for his followers.
The process to remove the structure began aroundmidnight in presence of Mayor Sunil Prabhu and senior Senaleaders including party group leader in Assembly Subhash Desaiand was completed three hours later.
Curtains were put up around the structure and a soilextractor machine was used for removal after which the debriswas put in a truck.
Although the process which went on after 3 AM, waslargely peaceful, police foiled a bid by zealous Shiv sainiksto erect a memorial of the Sena patriarch adjacent to theShivaji statue at the park.
Media was prevented by Sainiks from filming thestructure removal.
Meanwhile, Sena sources said the party which along withBJP, controls BMC was likely to press for an alternatememorial spot in the civic body meeting.
Senior Sena leader Ramdas Kadam, who paid homage at thesite yesterday had said, "Uddhav Thackeray will keep his wordsgiven to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan (on removal of themake-shift memorial)."
The Shiv Sena chief had died on November 17.
Party's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut had last week spokenabout shifting the make-shift memorial on December 17.