The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, and allied organisations have announced meetings across the state today (March 17) to demand the demolition of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's tomb at Khuldabad near Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar.
On Sunday, the Bajrang Dal said they will launch a karseva to demolish Aurangzeb's tomb. In a message on 'X', the organisation said 'Tomb of Hindu-hater, cruel oppressor, and villian from Sambhajinagar should not be there in Maharashtra. State government is requested to immediately remove the tomb of Aurangzeb, otherwise we will begin Karseva like 1992.
In another message, Govind Shende, VHP secretary, Maharashtra and Goa, said that the names of many roads in Delhi and railway stations have been changed . “The name of Aurangabad has been changed to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Ahmednagar to Ahilya Nagar. I ask the government to destroy the tomb,” said Shende.
Shende said that Aurangzeb was a cruel and evil man who was responsible for the destruction of the temples in Kashi and Mathura. “He killed lakhs of Hindus and asked Hindus to pay jizya tax in exchange for their lives. He perpetrated sexual atrocities on Hindu women and cow slaughter. He imprisoned his own father, denying him water to drink. He killed his brothers. This man's tomb is in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.” Shende said, adding that there should be no memorials to a man who opposed Chhatrapati Shivaji and tortured Chhatrapati Sambhaji for 40 days, gouging out his eyes and pulling out his nails.
The VHP said it will organise protests in every tehsil in the state to let the state government know about their demands.
Though historians have said that many of Aurangzeb's actions were dictated by his political needs rather than just religion, a recent movie on the life and death of Sambhaji has drawn attention to the Mughal emperor's tomb. Last week, Maharashtra Chief Minister ,Devendra Fadnavis, said that he agreed with those who want the tomb to be demolished but added that the structure was a protected structure under the central government's archeology department.
