Security has been tightened around Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, after Hindu groups Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal threatened it could face a “Babri Masjid-like fate” if their demand to remove the structure is not met by the state government.
Protests and demands
On Monday, security forces were seen guarding the tomb to prevent any trouble. Members of Bajrang Dal also staged a protest in front of the Nagpur District Collector’s office, demanding the removal of the tomb.
Bajrang Dal leader Nitin Mahajan spoke to ANI on Sunday, saying the tomb should be removed. He warned that if the government does not act, the tomb could meet the same end as the Babri Masjid.
“In Sambhajinagar, a (Aurangzeb’s grave) grave is being worshipped. The grave of Sambhaji’s murderer is being built… When such graves are worshipped, then the society also develops in that manner… At that time, we were helpless… but now Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal are demanding that it should be removed… On March 17, we will demand to the government that it should be removed… We will greet the government if they remove it, but if that does not happen, then VHP and Bajrang Dal will come out on the streets and launch a huge agitation,” said Mahajan.
He also added, “And we know what happens when the Hindu community carries out an agitation concerning its existence; we all saw what happened in Ayodhya to remove the Babri structure… If the government does not remove the grave, then we will do Karseva and do so ourselves.”
The Babri Masjid, a mosque in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, was demolished on December 6, 1992, by a large group of Hindu activists called ‘Kar Sevak,’ led by VHP, Bajrang Dal, and other groups. After years of court battles, the Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that the land would go to Hindus for building a Ram temple. A separate plot was given to Muslims to build a mosque. Construction of the Ram Mandir is now ongoing.
Political reactions
BJP leader and Goshamahal MLA T. Raja Singh has also joined the conversation. He wrote a letter to Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, asking for detailed information on how much money the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has spent on maintaining Aurangzeb’s tomb. Singh’s letter, dated March 15, requested a breakdown of expenses, including maintenance, security, and other costs.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders criticised the VHP and Bajrang Dal’s actions. Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar said, “They (VHP and Bajrang Dal) are left with nothing else to do… They don’t want the people of Maharashtra to live peacefully… They want to slow the development pace of the state… I would like to say to them that Aurangzeb was here for 27 years, and he was not able to do anything for the state; now, what will they get after the removal of his grave?”
Congress national spokesperson Atul Londhe Patil also commented, saying the state’s law and order situation is failing. He accused the BJP of using this controversy to distract people from real problems like unemployment, farmer suicides, and rising poverty.
“Farmers are committing suicide, not getting electricity and water… Unemployment has increased… To hide all of these issues, the BJP comes up with new issues of Hindus and Muslims… They diverted people from PF and pension schemes to the share market… and now, within 5 months, the common man has become poor… The people are entangled in historical topics to divert their attention from the main issues… The people are not going to fall for it this time. They have to discuss the real issues,” Patil said.
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