New Delhi | Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray on his 97th birth anniversary on Monday, saying he devoted his life to public welfare.

Modi said he would always cherish his interactions with the Maratha leader, one of the early pioneers of hardline Hindutva politics, who enjoyed a large following.

"Remembering Balasaheb Thackeray Ji on his birth anniversary. I will always cherish my various interactions with him. He was blessed with rich knowledge and wit. He devoted his life to public welfare," the prime minister tweeted.

The Shiv Sena recently split into two factions with the one commanding the support of a majority of its lawmakers siding with the BJP, while another headed by Thackeray's son Uddhav Thackeray aligning with the Opposition in the state.