Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Mumbai on Tuesday evening to attend some big-ticket events, including the launch of a Gallery of Revolutionaries at Raj Bhavan in the presence of Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray. PM Modi, who was received by Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, CM Thackeray, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and protocol minister Aaditya Thackeray at INS Shikra heliport in Mumbai earlier today, inaugurated the underground Gallery of Revolutionaries museum, which is dedicated to the luminaries of the freedom struggle at the Raj Bhavan.
The gallery has come up in the subterranean network of 13 pre-World War-I British era bunkers, discovered in the Raj Bhavan campus in August 2016 during the tenure of the then Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao. The gallery includes information on the freedom movement heroes, their role in the movement, sculptures, rare photographs, murals and details on tribal revolutionaries drawn by school kids.
The prime minister also inaugurated the Jal Bhushan Building, the official residence of the Maharashtra governor since 1885. Upon completing its lifespan, Jal Bhushan was demolished and a new building was sanctioned in its place, a government release said, adding that the foundation stone for the new building was laid by the Hon’ble President of India in August 2019.
“I have come here several times in the past. I am happy you have taken care of the heritage of this place,” said Modi at the event.
PM Modi will also participate in Dwishatabdi Mahotsav of Mumbai Samachar at Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai. “The printing of Mumbai Samachar as a weekly was started on 1st July 1822 by Fardunjee Marzbanji. It later became a daily in 1832. The newspaper has been published continuously for 200 years. To commemorate this unique feat, a postal stamp will also be released on the occasion,” an official statement said.
The presence of PM Modi and Uddhav in the same event assumes significance as it comes after months of bitter hostilities between the BJP and Shiv Sena over the Hanuman Chalisa row. CM Uddhav had earlier skipped events attended by PM Modi. On April 24, the Maharashtra CM had skipped an event with PM for the first Lata Mangeshkar award at Shanmukhananda Hall in Mumbai and had not even received him at the airport.
While the BJP and Shiv Sena, Uddhav Thackeray’s party, may not be allies anymore, it is said that the Maharashtra CM still shares a great bond with PM Modi that is separate from politics. Top Sena leader Sanjay Raut had said last year that their paths are different as the BJP is in opposition and they are in power in Maharashtra, but they “still have strong personal bonds”. Raut had said this weeks after an interaction between the two leaders last year that had caused wild speculation that the two parties might be coming back together.
Before arriving in Mumbai, Modi inaugurated a shila (rock) temple at Sant Tukaram Maharaj Mandir dedicated to the 17th-century saint at Dehu near Pune. Modi also interacted with ‘warkaris’ during his visit, which comes ahead of the annual ‘wari’ tradition which will commence on June 20 from Dehu.
(With PTI inputs)
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