MUMBAI: Amid the controversy over right-wing organisations demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb, RSS leader Suresh ‘Bhaiyyaji’ Joshi clarified that the topic had been raised unnecessarily. “Aurangzeb died here (in Maharashtra), so his tomb has been built here. Those who have faith will go (there).”
Joshi said their role model is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’. “Shivaji Maharaj even built the tomb of Afzal Khan. It symbolises India’s generosity and inclusiveness. The tomb will remain; whoever wants to go will go,” the former RSS general secretary said.
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal, affiliated organisations of RSS, had staged a protest in Nagpur demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb at Khuldabad in Sambhaji Nagar.
The protest snowballed into a controversy over the alleged insult of the Prophet by burning the sacred chadar during the protest. It resulted in violence in Nagpur.
Earlier, RSS Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar said that the tomb of the 17th-century Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb, was not relevant today. Reacting to the Nagpur violence, he said, “We should not encourage any form of action. The police will investigate the case.”
Joshi’s statement was also a response to MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s comments. At the Gudi Padwa rally in Shivaji Park, Thackeray appealed to people not to succumb to the politics of caste and religion-based hatred and not to look at history from a communal perspective.
He said the tombs of people like Aurangzeb and Afzal Khan, who attacked the “swarajya” of Chhatrapati Shivaji, should be protected to showcase them as a symbol of Maratha bravery. He also asked people not to rely on WhatsApp forwards for historical information.
“Shivaji Maharaj was fighting feudalism. Don’t look at the caste and religion of the commander or historical figures, as people from all communities worked for different kingdoms. I urge youngsters to stop reading history on WhatsApp. This is a plan to divert you from real problems of society,” the RSS leader said.
RSS keeps distance from tomb controversy
Rumours about a ‘chadar’ with holy inscriptions burnt during protests led by the VHP seeking removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb triggered violence in Nagpur earlier this month. Commenting on the incident, RSS spokesperson Sunil Ambekar described the 17th-century emperor as “irrelevant”. Asked if the tomb should be relocated, Ambekar had replied, “It’s not relevant”.