Politicians, actors, businessmen attend Thackeray's funeral

Mumbai, Nov 18: A stream of eminent personalities from politics, films and corporate world today reached the historic Shivaji Park ground here to attend the last rites of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray.

NCP chief and Union Minister Sharad Pawar, BJP veteran LK Advani, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, megastar Amitabh Bachchan and industrialist Anil Ambani arrived at the sprawling ground in Dadar, which is a few metres away from the Sena headquarters.

BJP president Nitin Gadkari, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, BJP leaders Maneka Gandhi and Shahnawaz Hussain, senior Congress leader Dr DY Patil and Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Eknath Khadse too were present at the funeral venue.

Union Minister Praful Patel, senior BJP leader Arun Jaitely, VHP leader Pravin Togadia, Congress leader Rajiv Shukla and Maharashtra PWD Minister Chhagan Bhujbal were also present.

Bollywood actors Nana Patekar, Sanjay Dutt, actor-director Mahesh Manjrekar and Riteish Deshmukh were also present.

The cortege of the Sena patriarch reached the Shivaji Park ground after over six hours long journey in the presence of lakhs of Shiv Sainiks and his followers.

PTI