Won’t Tolerate Glorification of Aurangzeb: VHP After Nagpur Violence
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Tuesday said it would not tolerate any glorification of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, following violence in Nagpur over protests against his tomb.
“The administration should take stern action against those responsible for the violence,” said VHP Vidarbha Prant Sah Mantri Devesh Mishra.
Mishra dismissed claims that a ‘chadar’ with holy inscriptions was burned during protests led by VHP and Bajrang Dal. He said the reports were misleading.
Protests were held across Maharashtra on Monday, demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb at Khultabad near Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The demand has been backed by BJP and ruling alliance leaders, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
“We won’t tolerate glorification of Aurangzeb,” Mishra reiterated.
The VHP leader called for the construction of memorials for Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj and Maratha generals Dhanaji Jadhav and Santaji Ghorpade at the site of Aurangzeb’s tomb.
Mishra said Maharashtra belongs to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and accused Aurangzeb of torturing him. “Our issue is the torture he suffered from Aurangzeb. We don’t want any symbol of Aurangzeb in Maharashtra, and VHP has decided to remove his tomb. But some people in Nagpur still glorify Aurangzeb,” he said.
He alleged that the violence in Nagpur was pre-planned and called for strict action. He demanded that those involved be booked under the National Security Act (NSA) and that their houses be demolished if named in police FIRs.
“The movement to remove Aurangzeb’s tomb will continue,” he asserted.
VHP’s Vidarbha Dharmprasar Pramukh, Rajkumar Sharma, claimed that an announcement from a mosque near Chitnis Park led to a mob gathering on Monday. He demanded action against the mosque trustees and the maulvis responsible.
Violence broke out in Nagpur’s Chitnis Park area on Monday around 7:30 pm. Stones were thrown at the police amid rumors that a religious book had been burned during the protests, officials said.
