In a bold demonstration in Nagpur, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal staged a protest calling for the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb from Maharashtra. The protest, which took place near the statue of Shivaji Maharaj, was led by Govind Shende, a prominent figure in the VHP. The demonstrators burned an effigy of Aurangzeb, echoing their demand for the tomb's removal.
As the protestors chanted "Jai Shri Ram" slogans, they made their stance clear—calling for a reevaluation of the historical landmarks associated with the Mughal emperor. The organisation urged the Maharashtra government to remove the tomb soon and warned that if no action was taken, protests would break out and if necessary, they would block roads and demolish the tomb through karseva. The religious outfit warned a "Babri-like" repeat for the structure if the tomb is not taken down. Notably, the karsevaks demolished the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992.
For the unversed, the controversy was sparked by by Maharashtra Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi's remarks praising Aurangzeb, which led to his suspension from the state Assembly until March 26 and multiple FIRs being filed against him for allegedly hurting public sentiments. Azmi had said he did not view the 17th-century Mughal emperor as a cruel, tyrannical or intolerant ruler. He claimed that a distorted image of Aurangzeb was being created through films these days. His statement came weeks after the release of the Vicky Kaushal-starrer Chhava, a film based on the life and times of 17th-century Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, who was tortured and killed by Aurangzeb