The health of Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray continues to be critical. He has been on life support system since Wednesday evening. A team of doctors are attending to his respiratory illness at his Matoshree bungalow in Bandra.
Mumbaikars were glued to their TV sets on Thursday, as they watched for signs of disturbances in the city. In areas like Dadar, Parel and Lalbaug which are Shiv Sena strongholds, shopkeepers downed their shutters.
Law and order situation
A huge contingent of Mumbai police, supported by the Rapid Action Squad, has been deployed to ensure that the situation does not go out of control. The Maharashtra Government has issued a red alert for the whole State.
The Matoshree bungalow is under a virtual siege by around 10,000 loyal supporters, who have not moved from the area since Wednesday evening. Roads leading to his residence have been barricaded.
Even senior party leaders had to abandon their vehicles near the Western Express Highway and reached Matoshree on foot.
Since Thursday morning, a steady stream of visitors from the world of politics, cinema and industry, called upon the Thackeray family and enquired about the leader’s health.
Shiv Sena spokesman Sanjay Raut said Thackeray’s condition had improved on Thursday. Raut said Thackeray was being given good treatment and is responding to it. “His condition had worsened on Wednesday night, but now he is responding well to the treatment,” he said.
Thackeray’s son Uddhav, who is also the working president of Shiv Sena, appealed to his partymen to maintain peace and said Balasaheb has a strong will power and would come out of the situation.
Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, along with his son Abhishek, visited Thackeray and enquired about his health. The crowd outside Matoshree was so huge and charged that even the Bachchans found it difficult to gain access to the residence.