Lata Mangeshkar’s family has made it clear that it does not want a memorial to the late singer on Shivaji Park in Bombay, where she was cremated on 6th February. While the BJP floated the idea, the Congress party did not oppose the proposal but some other political parties in Maharashtra state urged the civic authorities to ensure that the playground was not sacrificed for “petty party politics”.
Meanwhile, a Shivaji Park resident, Prakash Belwade, has filed a public interest litigation in the Bombay high court, seeking a direction to the state to formulate guidelines to protect the playground and preserve its legal and historical, heritage-wise importance”. The petition further sought “guidelines on public funerals and erection of memorials at alternate place and making necessary arrangements in advance”. The PIL has made the BMC, Urban Development department and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Heritage Conservation Society as also the collector and the state parties.