Shift governor's residence elsewhere, make Shivaji memorial at Raj Bhavan, demands BJP MP Udayanraje Bhosale

Pune: Maharashtra BJP MP Udayanraje Bhosale on Monday said a memorial to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj must be constructed at Raj Bhavan after shifting the residence of the governor "elsewhere" instead of the proposed one in the Arabian sea.

Raj Bhavan, located at the tip of Malabar Hill in south Mumbai, spans 20 hectares (49 acres) and is the official residence of the Maharashtra governor.

Addressing reporters in Satara, Bhosale, a descendant of the Maratha king, said the 40-acre plot is ideal for the memorial and could help avoid ecological challenges linked to building it offshore.

"Raj Bhavan can be shifted elsewhere. The site is perfect, expansive and surrounded by the sea on three sides. If the Mayor's Bungalow can be converted into a memorial (for Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray), why not this?" the Satara MP asked.