A hard-line Hindu group’s demand for the demolition of a tomb belonging to 17th-century Mughal ruler Aurangzeb has escalated sectarian tensions in Maharashtra, India, resulting in violent clashes and the imposition of a curfew. The unrest erupted this week in Nagpur, stemming from the group's portrayal of Aurangzeb as a despotic ruler who persecuted Hindus, thus igniting anger among certain factions within the Hindu community.
The tensions peaked on a significant date in the Hindu calendar—Chhatrapati Shivaji's birth anniversary—a celebrated king known for opposing Aurangzeb's reign. The local chapter of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (V.H.P.) spearheaded the protests, issuing calls to dismantle Aurangzeb's tomb, located approximately 300 miles from Nagpur in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, formerly Aurangabad. The district was renamed in 2023 to honor Shivaji’s progeny.
During their protests, V.H.P. members congregated in front of a statue of Shivaji in Nagpur, where they burned an effigy of Aurangzeb draped in a green cloth, which holds spiritual significance in Islam. While the violence has since been largely contained by midweek, the calls for the tomb's demolition remain unfulfilled. This incident has underscored the contentious narrative utilized by right-wing Hindu groups, tapping into historical grievances to incite current day-hostility towards India’s sizable Muslim population, which numbers approximately 200 million.
