‘Whether people like it or not, but…’, what did CM Fadnavis say about Aurangzeb’s tomb?
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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said whether people like Mughal emperor Aurangzeb or not, his tomb is a protected monument but will not allow anyone to glorify him. Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Fadnavis said structures “outside the purview of law” should be removed.
Aurangzeb’s tomb is a protected monument: Fadnavis
Speaking to reporters, Fadnavis said whether we like Aurangzeb or not, his tomb is a protected monument but will not allow anyone to glorify him. Some organisations have been demanding the removal of the tomb of the 17th century Mughal ruler located in Khultabad town of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
Last fortnight, during a protest by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Nagpur demanding the removal of the tomb, violence had erupted due to rumours of burning of a chaadar bearing holy verses.
What did the RSS say on the Aurangzeb case?
Amid the demand to remove the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, senior RSS leader Suresh ‘Bhaiyaji’ Joshi on Monday said that the issue has been raised unnecessarily. Speaking to reporters during an event in Nagpur, Joshi said that anyone who has faith will visit this structure located in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra.
Bhaiyaji Joshi said that we have the role model of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, he had built the tomb of Afzal Khan. It is a symbol of India’s generosity and inclusiveness. The tomb will remain. Whoever wants to go, will go. A few days ago, RSS chief spokesperson Sunil Ambekar had termed 17th century Mughal emperor Aurangzeb irrelevant. When asked whether Aurangzeb’s tomb should be shifted, and whether the Mughal ruler is still relevant today, he had replied that no, he is no longer relevant.
On the other hand, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday condemned attempts to incite communal tension over Aurangzeb’s tomb and said history should not be seen through the prism of caste and religion. He asked people not to rely on information coming on WhatsApp for historical information. Thackeray said the Mughal ruler wanted to kill an idea called Shivaji, but failed and died in Maharashtra. The MNS chief said Bijapur general Afzal Khan was buried near the Pratapgarh fort and this could not have been done without the permission of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
