Fadanvis says government will protect Aurangzeb tomb, but not allow glorification

Mumbai: Amidst calls from Hindu groups to remove Aurangzeb’s grave, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said the state government will protect the Mughal ruler’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar but will not allow the Mughal ruler’s glorification.

“It is unfortunate that we have to protect Aurangzeb’s tomb since it was declared a protected site by the Archaeological Survey of India 50 years ago. As a result, it is the responsibility of the central and state governments to protect it,” Fadnavis said on Monday.

A first temple dedicated to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was inaugurated by Fadnavis on the occasion of Shiv-Jayanti at Bhiwandi. Addressing the gathering, the CM said, “Aurangzeb killed thousands of our people but we have to protect his grave. However, I promise that no matter what happens, I will not allow Aurangzeb’s grave to be glorified. Only the temple of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj deserves ‘mahima mandan’ (glorification) and not the tomb of Aurangzeb.”

The CM’s remarks came amid protests by Hindu outfits like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal who have also demanded that the protected structure be removed by the state government. They have threatened a ‘Babri Masjid-like fate’ of the structure if their demand was not met.

The issue came to limelight after BJP’s Satara MP Udayanraje Bhosale, a descendant of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, has sought the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb. Fadnavis had backed the call for the removal of the tomb but said it had to be done under the purview of the law as the previous Congress regime had put the site under the ASI’s protection.

The controversy over Aurangzeb erupted a few days back after Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Abu Azmi praised the Mughal emperor, calling him a good administrator and ‘not a cruel leader.’ He was subsequently suspended from the legislative assembly till the end of the budget session for his remarks.

Meanwhile, the activists of Bajrang Dal staged an agitation at the district collectorate offices across the state, demanding that the tomb of Aurangzeb be removed. They demanded that the state government remove the tomb immediately or the Hindu community would take to the streets.

Meanwhile, the police have set up a heavy security cover around Aurangzeb’s tomb at Khuldabad. According to officials, multiple checkpoints have been set up from the town’s entry point to the grave. A company of 50 State Reserve Police Force personnel, 30 local police officers and 20 Home Guards have been deployed. It is made mandatory for the visitors to register their names and furnish identity documents before entering the site.