Thackeray died at his home in Mumbai after he breathed his last at 3:30 pm his doctor declared on Saturday. 

The entire Indian media is reported to have collected at the late Sena leader's house to cover the story. 

A social and reformer journalist, Thackeray was born to Ramabai and Keshav Thackeray on January 23, 1926. The eldest of nine siblings, he lost his mother at a young age and was forced to give up his studies due to financial constraints.   

His career began as a cartoonist for the Free Press Journal  newspaper in Mumbai. However, he left the paper after differences with the management surfaced and began his own magazine "Marmik" highlighting the "injustice being done to sons of the soil" in their work place. 

He is survived by his wife Mina and sons Jaidev and Uddhave, who is Sena's executive president. His other son died in an accident. 

Mumbai police have stepped up security to avoid any untoward incident following the Indian firebrand right-wing politician's death. 

Shive Sena has become synonymous with deadly communal violence in the past over its campaign to protect local Marathis and their culture from migrant workers. 

Copyright Business Recorder, 2012