Mumbai, March 19 NCP (Sharad Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar on Wednesday defended the comparison of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, stating that their governing styles bear similarities.
Amid the ongoing demand for the removal of Aurangzeb's grave, the opposition in Maharashtra has intensified its attacks on the government, drawing parallels between the Mughal emperor's rule and Fadnavis's leadership.
Speaking to IANS, Pawar explained, "Aurangzeb's governance favoured the powerful, whereas Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj believed in uplifting society without any discrimination -- a philosophy we (NCP-SP) follow."
He further argued that the current administration prioritises contractors over common people.
"If we compare governing styles, this government appears to be only for contractors and is doing nothing for the common man. That is why, in terms of style, this government can be compared to Aurangzeb's rule," he said.
Pawar also strongly condemned the recent violence in Nagpur, calling it a "government-sponsored" incident.
He pointed out that both the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister had acknowledged the violence as a pre-planned event, which, according to him, suggests an intelligence failure.
"If such incidents keep happening and people lose their lives, who will be held responsible? If it wasn't an intelligence failure and the violence still occurred, then it was government-sponsored," Pawar said.
He demanded the government clarify whether the unrest was due to a lapse in intelligence or not. "Anyone involved in stone-pelting or contributing to violence in any way should be identified and jailed," he added.
The NCP-SP leader further alleged that the Nagpur violence was orchestrated to divert public attention from pressing issues affecting ordinary citizens.
"Farmers are struggling, unemployed youth face uncertainty, and women's safety remains a concern, yet no one is addressing these issues. The government is doing nothing for them. Now, public resentment is growing. To divert attention from these real problems, they raised the Aurangzeb and Chhatrapati Shivaji issue out of nowhere, and then the violence followed," he said.
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