Who was Bal Thackeray and why did Mumbai come to a standstill this weekend?

'When Bal Thackeray, a one-time cartoonist turned Hindu fundamentalist leader of India, died on Saturday, the entire city of Mumbai came to a standstill. Over a million people came out to watch the procession, thousands of police, including the Rapid Action Force, were deployed to maintain calm, and commercial businesses chose to shut down. So who was Bal Thackeray and how did his death rally millions to his procession and shut down one of the biggest financial capitals in Asia?

The controversial leader was a popular figure, who formed Shiv Sena, the army of Shiva, back in 1966 in the Indian state of Maharastra. Over the years, Shiv Sena became notorious as one of the most xenophobic right-wing groups in India, and was responsible for inciting hatred against minority groups, mostly Muslims. The Indian government accused Thackeray and his supporters for playing a major role in the 1992 Mumbai riots, which killed more than 900 people. According to the BBC, in 2002 he called on suicide squads to carry out attacks against Muslims.

Over the years, Shiv Sena has gained headlines for digging up cricket pitches ahead of matches against Pakistan, campaigning against Valentine's day and threatening young couples who celebrate it, and continuously threatening minorities...'