January 23, 2021: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid tributes to Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray on his birth anniversary, saying he was unwavering when it came to upholding his ideals.

Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said, "Tributes to Shri Balasaheb Thackeray Ji on his Jayanti. He was unwavering when it came to upholding his ideals. He worked tirelessly for the welfare of people."

He was born on January 23, 1926 in Pune. Balasaheb left his job as a cartoonist in the daily newspaper 'Free Press Journal' in 1960 to found the Shiv Sena on June 19, 1966 to advocate for the interest of Marathis or the people of Maharashtra.

He passed away on November 17, 2012 after suffering a cardiac arrest at the age of 86.

The Shiv Sena recently formed a government in Maharashtra with the support of the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress, breaking a decades-old alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). (ANI)