Large crowds of supporters gathered overnight outside the residence of ailing 86-year-old Thackeray, who founded the right-wing Hindu party Shiv Sena and is widely accused of stoking communal tensions in Mumbai.
"We have a lot of forces on the roads. Extra measures are being taken," Mumbai police spokesman Nisar Tamboli told AFP.
In the early hours of Thursday, Thackeray's son Uddhav emerged from the house in the suburb of Bandra to reassure the crowds and ask them to pray for his father.
"We are hopeful. You be hopeful. Let's pray," he said.
"Bal... has strong will power. We'll come out from the problem. Don't trust rumours. Make peace," he was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India news agency.
Doctors earlier told the agency that Thackeray's condition was "very critical" and that he was on a life support system.
Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan and his actor son Abhishek were among those to visit Thackeray's home in the night, where they were suffered minor injuries in the rowdy crowds.
"Yes both Abhishek and me were injured with cuts, but are fine and back home," the elder Bachchan wrote on Twitter.
Thackeray is one of the best-known and most controversial figures in the western state of Maharashtra and its capital, which his party renamed from Bombay to Mumbai.
The Shiv Sena became synonymous with deadly communal violence during its campaign to protect local Marathi-speaking people and their culture from migrant workers.
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@Arindom: bangladeshi refugees and migrants from other cities. Do some home work please!
@Dr Priyanka: Thanks for correcting me.
God bless Thacheray with a good Health.
RIP in advance.
@Dr Priyanka: How dare you compare illegal Afghans in Pakistan with Indians living in Bombay?
@Dr Priyanka:
Now you are calling Indians living in India as "Refugees" - you seriously need to come out of your "taliban" mindset.....
@Dr Priyanka: Your last comment calling Indians in Bombay as "refugees" explain your bigoted views and your love for a bigot like Thackeray. Whom you call "refugees" are your own Indian brothers and sisters - from Bihar, from Tamil Nadu, from Gujarat, from Benga, Marwaris from Rajasthanis just as with Marathas. Remember it is mainly the Parsees and Gujaratis made Bombay what it is today along with all Indians. You would also do well to start with reading about the history of Bombay.
@Hash: Just 3 ? Try out any top Indian publication - you'll find at least one in every story.
Good to know that Shiv Sena "campaign to protect local Marathi-speaking people and their culture from migrant workers." Wish Sindhi people have such a party to protect their rights and cities. What a bounty of freedom for people of Sindh. Karachi is made alien to us, our language, culture and rights are being ignored. State has failed to respect rights of Sindhi people over their land, and resources,because we dont have such party. PPP has failed to respect sentiments of Sindhi people.
@Arindom: how disgusting! Don't make fun of poor people. It is a slum because there are many refugees, migrants from other cities there. Like you have Afghan refugees in Pakistan and I am sure they cause a drain on any country's financial resources, but you can't throw them out. Grow up man! Insaaniyat duniya ka sab se badaa mazhab hai!
@Arindom: What do you mean by 'Maratha right winger'? and yes I will still say Mumbai is the commercial capital which is an undisputed fact. There's nothing wrong in having a title of Dr, what's the meaning of pompous I donot know, yes I will do basic reading when I get the time to do so. Basic reading of what? Someone who has been in the midst of a gulf war and spent 13 years in the middle east and has seen enough of life and death -what reading do they need to do?let me know?
@Dr Priyanka: They come to see the biggest slum in the world.....
@Dr Priyanka: what did I say against Marathas? Don't they have right wingers? Every community has right wingers? or is it only Marathas don't? C'mon DOCTOR, be logical!
@Dr Priyanka: "Financial Capital" because corporate taxes are paid there? It all accounting. The real factories remain in Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa, Delhi, Maharashtra, South India. Sales happen all over India! Just becasue consolidated taxes are reported in Bombay and Corporate HQs are in Bombay - doesnot mean Bombay generates all the money for every Indian??? You have a "Dr" in front of your name -- pompously alluding you are more intelligent than others on the Internet -- do some basic reading!
@Yousaf: not renamed. It was always Mumbai. The brits gave it the name Bombay. For us the marathis it is Mumbai.
@zoro: thanks i feel better. Mumbai is an important city. That is the reason why people like Obama, Mrs Clinton, Mr Clinton when he was Prez, Mr Karzai etc visited there to meet up with the businessmen. And if you are an important person there, it means something. As a marathi woman I felt bad when I read some comments of fellow Indians here. The marathas are a very patriotic people, although not good in business dealings. When you say Balasaaheb and his party is just a fringe etc etc, then how come all VIPs are rushing to his bedside or to his family to offer comfort? When more than a 1000 employees of jet air were fired the Thackeray family made sure that all were taken back. That is the power of Thackerays. Money doesnot speak always!
@ Dr Priyanka .. Yooo ...way to go ... Dr Priyanka ... i second all ur thoughts ... overwhelmingly...
@Karim: Not sure if you are familiar with Thackeray's politics. But he is an equal oportunity bigot. His career started with tirades against SOuth Indians and Gujaratis living in Mumbai and have gone on to any and everyone else - the last major confritation being with Biharis.
Incidentally his concern with getting some justice for victims of 26/11 is widely shared by Indians of all hues.
@sudhir: it's Mumbai not Bombay!
@Hemant: hai baazuon mein taakat jiski chalti hai hukoomat uski!
@Hemant: when the king of the forest becomes ill, even the monkeys think they can be king!
@arindom: Yes and Mumbai is the financial capital of India. The golden apple. May God give you some sense and Mr Thackeray a long life. Dont forget he doesnot say anything to people like Adnan Sami, Ali Zafar etc. Do some soul searching and you will realise why?
@arindom: so what's wrong with Marathas. You have forgotten their contribution to our motherland it appears!
I lost all respect for Amitabh Bachchan...Never thought he was so close to a fascist..
@just_someone: The party is meaningful only in the city of Mumbai and has limited influence in Maharastra , which is one of the 30 states in india . Shiv Sena has 4/5 MPs in a parliament consisting of 542 members . It is among the fringe parties in india.
@Indian: Good stuff mate, your right we need to shun these extremists and work for a bright future for both countries. I hope this new generation of Pakistani's and Indians can learn to live in peace and harmony unlike all the generations before us. Yeah Pakistan-Indian matches are the best.............I just hope Virat and Malik do badly as I hate there guts lol.
@The Khan: King of hatred. Lives in Bombay, India. Has been spreading religious hatred for the last six decades as his sole mission.
I can not believe I just encountered 3 grammatical blunders in an article of the most widely read newspaper. What a shame!
Politician Bal Thackeray was Reported in a very critical
MUMBAI:Thackeray is one of the best-known and most controversial figures in the western state of Maharashtra and its capital, which his party renamed from Bombay to Mumbai.(RTI LIVE)
http://rtilive.pk/detail/6439
Right to Information Pakistan Live, RTI Live, Information Pakistan, RTI online Research ORganization, Maharashtra, Amitabh Bachchan , Thackeray’s home, Nisar Tamboli, very critical, Mumbai police
I just came to you site by chance. I hope India & Pakistan become friends. We both are gr8 people just the extremists spoil things. Bal Thackeray was a politician who played games to get votes. My dear people in India and Pakistan dont let people like this make us hate each other we have the right to choose for ourselves who we dislike and like. Dont like politicians or religious leaders dominate your thinking. We as common people can make a difference. Think about it please!!! And hey an India-Pakistan cricket match is the best match ever dude's even better than any World Cup......Yeah!!!
@just_someone: His party the Shiv Sena is strong only in Bombay. Big Zero . Unknown in rest of the country. Check yourfacts.
god bless thackeray........bhagwaan save our hero...............
His time is over, game end
@Random
Pray to Allah to guide urself and ur community first . Everyone knows Balthacrey is a terrorist , he has muder charges against him and He is a wanted criminal by Interpol and 100 million USD reward by USA. Yesterday USA and Human rights protectors had raided his house , but he managed to escape . Anonymous reports told that he has been hiding in the foot hills of Himalaya.
I Pray to Allah to guide him and all of mankind to the correct path before his time is over.
Who's Thackeray ?
So when are we smelling the barbeque?
@arindom: Yeah he is. He is a Hindu and your own people made his party one of the most powerful in India. Hence, he is a Hindu Leader. Stop denying facts!
@Pakistan: Its done to appease the indian readers of this newspaper. You have to look at your audience!.
One thing such fundamentalist people don't get from secular-minded people like me is the dose of compassion that we feel for advocates of human rights and freedom from prejudice. His hate toward Muslims is something hard to ignore and while I won't wish him dead or suffering, I would like him to finally realize that humans can rise above religious bias and really defeat the seeds of hate sown by religion - whether its pure or distorted versions.
"Hindu Leader"?Lol! no such thing! More accurately he is Maratha Right Winger!