A day after the Melody Queen Lata Mangeshkar passed into eternity, the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday demanded a befitting memorial for her at Shivaji Park where she was cremated in a public funeral on Sunday.
BJP legislator Ram Kadam has written to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray making the demand for the ‘national pride’, Bharat Ratna Lata Didi who is no more in our midst.
“A more fitting tribute to her would be to erect a memorial dediated to Lata Didi-ji at the very same iconic Shivaji Park. There is a growing chorus among her millions of fans worldwide. A memorial can serve as an emotional place where her admirers can pay homage to her memory,” Kadam demanded.
Shiv Sena Chief Spokesperson and MP Sanjay Raut said that Lata Didi belonged to the whole world and the Maharashtra government and Center would definitely consider it.
However, he pointed out that building a monument of Lata Mangeshkar is not an easy task as she was not a politician though she belonged “to us, the country and the whole world”, but said a memorial would come up in the state.
Lata Mangeshkar passed away on Sunday at the age of 92. Lata Ji had been admitted to Mumbai’s Breach Candy hospital on January 8 after she was diagnosed with COVID-19 and pneumonia.
Dr Pratit Samdani from the Breach Candy Hospital, spoke about the late legendary singer and how even in her final moments she had a smile on her face.
Dr Samdani, who had been treating her for the past three years said, “Whenever Lata ji’s health deteriorated, I would have treated her, but this time her condition was deteriorating day by day. Though we continued our efforts but eventually we could not save her.”
He further revealed that when the singer was admitted she always used to say that “everyone should be looked after equally.” Also, “she was always ready to take whatever treatment was necessary for her and never refrained from it,” he said.
Born on September 28, 1929, she began her career in 1942 at the age of 13. In a career spanning over seven decades, the melody queen recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films. She recorded her songs in over 36 regional Indian and foreign languages.
With IANS inputs
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