The activists of Bajrang Dal staged an agitation at the District Collectorate on Monday, demanding that the tomb of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb be removed from Khuldabad. The activists shouted slogans against Aurangzeb and later submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the district collector.
Organizations including Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal have planned to initiate a drive to remove the tomb of Aurangzeb, located at Khuldabad, around 30 km away from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, starting March 17. This date is considered the birth date of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj according to ‘Tithi’. Due to the threat posed by Hindu organizations, the police have deployed a heavy security presence at the tomb and surrounding areas.
The activists claimed that Aurangzeb killed Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, by inflicting severe torture. They argued that his tomb should be removed from the soil of Maharashtra. The leaders demanded that the state government remove the tomb immediately, or the Hindu community would take to the streets.
Special Inspector General of Police Virendra Mishra, SP Dr. Vinaykumar Rathod, and Additional SP Annapurna Singh visited Khuldabad and inspected the security situation around the tomb. A total of 115 SRPF armed jawans, 25 constables of the Riot Control Squad, and 50 jawans from the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar rural police have been deployed.
Meanwhile, the police administration has banned the entry of Ramakant Ekbote, president of Sambhaji Maharaj Pratishthan, and his supporters into Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. Ekbote had announced that he would come to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar from Pune and remove the tomb.
