A senior functionary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has remarked that Mughal emperor Aurangzeb is no longer relevant in contemporary times, following violent clashes in Nagpur over a demand to remove his tomb. The unrest left over 30 people, including several police personnel, injured.
RSS leader Sunil Ambekar stated that any form of violence is harmful to society and questioned whether the issue of Aurangzeb’s tomb should even be debated in the present day.
His comments come after right-wing groups, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal, staged a protest on Monday, demanding the removal of the 17th-century ruler’s tomb in Khuldabad.
The controversy reignited after the release of the Marathi film Chhaava, which depicts the life of Maratha king Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and his execution by Aurangzeb.
The movie has brought renewed focus to historical tensions surrounding the Mughal ruler, who remains a divisive figure in Maharashtra.
During the protest, demonstrators burned an effigy of Aurangzeb draped with a ‘chadar’.
However, misinformation quickly spread, suggesting that religious material had been set on fire, leading to widespread vandalism and arson. Clashes erupted in the Mahal and Hansapuri areas, where mobs torched vehicles and targeted residential properties.
Authorities have since arrested the alleged mastermind of the violence, Fahim Shamim Khan, a leader of the Minorities Democratic Party (MDP). Meanwhile, VHP working president Alok Kumar asserted that their protest had been peaceful and dismissed claims that it provoked the violence.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis suggested that the violence was premeditated, noting that petrol bombs had been used, indicating prior planning rather than an immediate reaction.
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