Nagpur violence: BJP trying to ‘erase Shivaji’ through its pursuit of Aurangzeb, says Shiv Sena (UBT)

Paramilitary personnel keep vigil as curfew remains in effect in 10 police station limits on the second consecutive day following the violence erupted on 17 March, in Nagpur on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: ANI

The politically charged controversy surrounding Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s grave continues in Maharashtra, with Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ally Shiv Sena (UBT) attacking the BJP for giving more importance to Aurangzeb than Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

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The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday (March 19, 2025), slammed the BJP for using Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje whenever convenient. They were never symbols of RSS or BJP ideology.

An editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana, titled ‘Aurangya toch, BJP nava Shivaji (Aurangzeb is the new Shivaji of BJP)‘, said, “These people want to reduce the importance of Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji Maharaj. Maratha Kings fought the villain Aurangzeb and buried him in Maharashtra. The (BJP) is conspiring to finish Aurangzeb along with his grave so that the heroes who fought him will also vanish along with him, a distortion of history.”

“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s edict said that if you find a copy of the Quran, return it with honour. In Nagpur, cloth, bearing Quranic verses was burnt and a Holi pole was rammed into the mosque gate in an attempt to create riots. All these incidents show that Maharashtra is being burnt in the name of Aurangzeb,” the editorial said.

Edit slams Fadnavis

The Shiv Sena (UBT), through the editorial, took a stand against Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s statement that the Nagpur communal clash was “pre-planned” and the government’s hands were tied over the removal of Aurangzeb’s grave as it is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The controversy started after Abu Azmi praised Aurangzeb in a statement. This led to demonstrations across the State following BJP leader Udayanraje Bhosale’s demand for the removal of Aurangzeb’s grave.

“BJP MP Pradeep Purohit from Bargarh in Odisha, publicly stated in the Lok Sabha — ‘Our Shivaji is Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr. Modi was Chhatrapati Shivaji in his previous birth.’ BJP has given birth to a new Shivaji and plans to destroy the original Shivaji Maharaj,” said the editorial. It wanted to know whether Chhatrapati’s descendants Udayanaraje Bhosale and Shivendraraje Bhosale agreed with the glorification of Mr. Modi?

The Shiv Sena (UBT) called for an end to the drama over the grave and removal of the protected monument tag as the BJP is ruling both at the Centre and in the State to prevent riots and calm the fanatics in the State.

The editorial also referred to recent events of communal violence, including the Rajapur-Ratnagiri violence, Parbhani riots, and Beed murder. “Ministers of state gave speeches that increased religious hatred and the Home Minister is sitting around doing nothing, this is not called ruling,” the editorial stated.

It also cited the Babri Masjid incident and said, “There is no need for karseva as a double-engine government is ruling in Maharashtra, unlike the Babri situation, where the Congress government at the centre and the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh led to a conflict.”