Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said on Tuesday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who is in power in the Center and the state, should remove the grave of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb. He suggested that before doing so, he should also call Chandrababu Naidu from his colleague Andhra Pradesh and Nitish Kumar from Bihar. Talking to the media on the violence in Nagpur, Thackeray said, “If you want, you can remove his (Aurangzeb) grave, but during that time call Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar.”
This comment of the former Chief Minister is a sarcasm on BJP, which has formed the government at the center in collaboration with Nitish’s Janata Dal (United) and Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP). The same alliance is also in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.
Both parties are considered secular and consider Muslims as their great supporters in terms of population. Both parties have refused to walk on Hindutva on the BJP’s line and are also seen against the strict stance of BJP on many issues.
Thackeray further said that there is a “no need” of a confrontation on the issue, as the disputed ruler died 300 years ago and advised the BJP to find out the cause of the violence in Nagpur.
He said, “I am not the Chief Minister, nor I am the Home Minister, ask the Chief Minister who is behind it (of violence). Because there is the headquarters of RSS. There is a double engine government … If the double engine government has failed, they should resign.”
Taking another target at the BJP, Thackeray said that Aurangzeb was actually born in Gujarat. Thackeray said, “Aurangzeb, who was born in Gujarat and Chhatrapati came to Maharashtra to challenge Shivaji Maharaj, could not return to Agra.”
In Nagpur, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal had demanded the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb from the state, which led to violent clashes after the protest, which has brought this statement of Thackeray a day later.
Officials said several policemen were injured in stone pelting and attacks on Monday evening. According to the latest reports, more than 50 suspects have been detained and are being questioned in connection with the developments on yesterday evening.
Speaking in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly today, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the violence was the result of spreading rumors on social media and advised the citizens to remain calm and restrained.
The Chief Minister also promised action against the culprits of violence and arson in Nagpur. Meanwhile, security has also been increased in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district (earlier Aurangabad), where there is a grave of Aurangzeb.