Bal Thackeray's health improves Mumbai crawls back to normalcy

The health of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray is improving, though he remains critical. Anxious party members continued to visit Matoshree, his residence.

“Balasaheb is doing better each passing day, due to the good wishes of the people,” senior Sena leader and former Lok Sabha speaker Manohar Joshi told the media on Friday. Party leader and Member of Parliament Anil Desai said Thackeray was stable and responding to treatment. He added it was expected Thackeray’s son and party executive president Uddhav Thackeray would provide an update on the matter late tonight.

After yesterday’s spontaneous bandh in certain eastern and western suburbs, Mumbai on Friday crawled back to normalcy. Even as security remained tight, traffic was back on the roads, though it didn’t match up to regular levels.

 

In Mahim, Matunga and Dadar markets, shops were open. The area around Matoshree, however, continued to remain under high alert.

About 1,500 police personnel, with several Rapid Action Force teams, have been deployed there.

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, Bollywood actors Juhi Chawla, Suresh Oberoi and his son Vivek Oberoi called on Bal Thackeray at Matoshree on Friday.