Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Mar 31: Amidst the demands from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal, both belonging to the Sangh Parivar, for removal of Moghul emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb in Maharashtra, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for the second time in a week asserted that the controversy had been raised “unnecessarily.”
As the controversy that sparked off communal riots in Nagpur continue to rage, senior RSS leader Suresh ‘Bhaiyyaji’ Joshi on Monday said the topic has been raised unnecessarily. “Whoever has faith will visit the structure, located in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar,” the RSS leader told reporters to a query on the sidelines of a programme in Nagpur.
Notably, Maharashtra Navanirman Sena chief (MNS) Raj Thackeray, considered to be close to the Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Sunday had slammed attempts to incite communal tension on Aurangzeb’s tomb issue and said history shouldn’t be viewed through the prism of caste and religion.
Mr Thackeray had also asked people not to rely on WhatsApp forwards for historical information. He said the Mughal ruler wanted to “kill a thought called Shivaji” but failed and died in Maharashtra. “Afzal Khan, the Bijapur general, was buried near the Pratapgadh Fort, and it couldn’t have been done without Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s permission,” the MNS chief had said.
Rumours about a “chadar” with holy inscriptions being burnt during protests led by the VHP and Bajrang Dal seeking the removal of the tomb had triggered violence in Nagpur earlier this month.
Asked about Raj Thackeray’s comments and the issue of the Mughal emperor’s tomb, Mr Joshi said, “The topic of Aurangzeb’s tomb has been raised unnecessarily. He died here (in India), so his tomb has been built here. Those who have faith will go.”
“We have Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s adarsh (role model). He had built the tomb of Afzal Khan. This is a symbol of India’s generosity and inclusiveness. The tomb will remain; whoever wants to go will go,” the former RSS general secretary added.
Earlier this month, RSS chief spokesperson Sunil Ambekar described the relocation or removal of the 17th-century Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb as “irrelevant.”
