Born in 1926, Bal Thackeray had founded the Shiv Sena Party. (File)
Leaders across party lines, including Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, paid tributes to Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray on his 95th birth anniversary.
Taking to Twitter, the NCP chief said Mr Thackeray used his talent as a cartoonist to comment on various social issues.
The late leader's command over words made him a good orator and he had a hold over state politics, Mr Pawar tweeted.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, the late leader's son, offered floral tributes to the portrait of his father at Matoshree, the family's residence in suburban Mumbai.
Born in 1926, Mr Thackeray had founded the Shiv Sena, a party wedded to the "Marathi manoos" cause, and later, embraced Hindu nationalism.
Speaking about this father's contribution, the chief minister said, Mr Thackeray had participated in the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute and the Samyukta Maharashtra movement.
"He was a great nationalist and a shining symbol of Hindutva," he said.
BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Devendra Fadnavis also paid tributes to Mr Thackeray.