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Maharashtra

‘Bajrang Dal, VHP Don’t Want People Of Maharashtra To Live Peacefully’: Congress On Controversy Over Aurangzeb’s Grave

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Mumbai: Reacting to the controversy surrounding Aurangzeb’s grave in Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad) and Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal’s demand to remove it, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Monday said that Bajrang Dal and VHP don’t want the people of Maharashtra to live peacefully.

“They (VHP and Bajrang Dal) are left with nothing else to do…They don’t want the people of Maharashtra to live peacefully…They want to slow the development pace of the state…I would like to say to them that Aurangzeb was here for 27 years, and he was not able to do anything to the state; now, what will they get after the removal of his grave,” Wadettiwar told media.

Congress National Spokesperson Atul Londhe Patil said that the situation is tense in Maharashtra, adding that law and order have collapsed in the state.

“Farmers are committing suicide not getting electricity and water… Unemployment has increased… To hide all of these issues, the BJP comes up with new issues of Hindus and Muslims… They diverted people from PF and pension schemes to the share market… and now, within 5 months, the common man has become poor… The people are entangled in historical topics to divert their attention from the main issues… The people are not going to fall for it this time. They have to discuss the real issues,” Patil said.

Earlier on Saturday, Bajrang Dal leader Nitin Mahajan demanded the removal of the Aurangzeb tomb in Sambhajinagar and said that if the government fails to do so, then the tomb will meet the same fate like Babri Masjid.

“In Sambhajinagar, a (Aurangzeb’s grave) grave is being worshipped. The grave of Sambhaji’s murderer is being built… When such graves are worshipped, then the society also develops in that manner… At that time, we were helpless…but now Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal are demanding that it should be removed… On March 17, we will demand to the government that it should be removed… We will greet the government if they remove it, but if that does not happen, then VHP and Bajrang Dal will come out on the streets and launch a huge agitation,” Nitin Mahajan told media.

“And we know what happens when the Hindu community carries out an agitation concerning its existence, we all saw what happened in Ayodhya to remove the Babri structure… If the government does not remove the grave, then we will do Karseva and do so ourselves,” he added.

Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Goshamahal MLA T Raja Singh had written a letter to Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat seeking detailed information regarding the funds allocated and spent by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on the maintenance of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb, located in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar district.

The letter dated March 15, reads, “I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I am writing to seek detailed information regarding the funds allocated and spent by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on the maintenance of Aurangzeb’s tomb, located in Chhatrapati Sambha ji Nagar district, Maharashtra.”

In the letter, Singh sought a detailed explanation on the total amount spent by the ASI on the tomb over the years, year-wise expenditure details incurred on maintenance, security, and other related aspects.

The BJP MLA further sought justification for continued government spending on the tomb of Aurangzeb, a ruler who was responsible for the “destruction” of our temples, the killing of Hindu kings, and the “suppression” of culture.

Singh urged the Central government to consider halting any further expenditure on Aurangzeb’s tomb immediately.

“It is my strong belief that not a single rupee of taxpayer money should be spent on maintaining the tomb of a tyrant who caused immense suffering to our ancestors. The government should consider halting any further expenditure on this site immediately, as it holds no relevance to our cultural heritage and history of valor,” it stated.

Maharashtra

Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh wrote a letter to the Legislative Council Secretariat accusing the BJP of creating hatred between two communities by giving political color to the bills

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Mumbai: Samajwadi Party MLA from Bhiwandi East Rais Shaikh on Thursday wrote a letter to the Assembly Secretariat demanding that two private bills on love jihad and forced conversions introduced by BJP MLAs be rejected. MLA Shaikh alleged that the government’s intention to bring a law on the issue of Love Jihad was clear, but the ruling MLA had to bring a private bill because there was doubt over the government’s intention.

In a letter to the Assembly Secretariat, MLA Shaikh said that the government had constituted a 7-member committee headed by the state Director General of Police in February, which will study the legal provisions and draft a law to prevent conversion through force or fraud. The committee includes senior officials from key departments including Women and Child Welfare, Minority Affairs, Law and Justice, Social Justice and Special Assistance, and Home.

Although the government has set up a committee to study the legal framework, last week two MLAs from the ruling BJP introduced private bills on the issue of forced conversions. MLA Rais Shaikh said, “It seems that these bills have been brought to politicise the alleged issue of love jihad and create animosity between the two communities.”

Sheikh said that when a committee is constituted to study such a sensitive issue, members of the Assembly are expected to present their concerns and suggestions before the committee. “However, the two main objectives behind the private bills introduced by the BJP MLAs are only to distort and gain publicity,” alleged MLA Rais Shaikh. While the government has already announced its intention to enact a law against forced religious conversion, the introduction of private bills by ruling party MLAs shows a lack of confidence in the intentions of their own government. MLA Rais Shaikh wrote a letter to the Legislative Secretariat requesting the rejection of both the private bills.

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Maharashtra

Even if Brahmadev comes, the government will not fall for five years: Finance Minister Ajit Pawar

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Mumbai: Responding to opposition questions in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in Mumbai, Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar said that efforts are being made to overwhelm me with speeches. I am poor, that’s why I am sitting here.

Ajit Pawar said in a sarcastic tone that now you have to decide whether Maharashtra has developed or lagged behind in the last five years. We also say that in the last five years the state is moving towards development, there has been more development in the last two years. People have given love and trust to the Mahayuti government. Even if Brahmadev comes, the government will not fall for five years. He said that Nana Patole had proposed to both the deputy ministers that if they join the Maha Vikas Aghadi, he would make them the Chief Minister.

He said that you were also in power for the last five years, but the state did not develop. It is my nature to say good things, good things. He said that Vijay Varditiwar was also with me, but now he has become the leader of the opposition. Where did your promise go? Many members have asked in their speeches. He said that I am unable to do things like making statues and insulting the general public, so I express my views through poetry. I do not make promises that I cannot fulfill. I do not talk more than my status. I yearn to touch the sky. But he has no intention of demeaning others.

Ajit Pawar said in his speech that in this budget session, the media has talked about closing many schemes of last year. He said that some schemes are started according to the circumstances and a limit is set for every scheme and after that it has to be closed. Mahayoti will not stop important government and popular schemes at any cost. He said that many schemes were started during Corona, but now it is necessary to close them after Corona is over.

Many times schemes are started by the central government in the interest of the state government. Should the state government’s schemes be stopped due to this? This is not done because it does not affect the state treasury. That is why we do not stop any scheme even after the central government’s schemes. Therefore, I request with folded hands that no false information should be spread. Ajit Pawar said that the Ladli Behan scheme will not be stopped.

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Maharashtra

Sena UBT Mouthpiece Criticises Extremist Calls For Aurangzeb’s Tomb Demolition; Calls For Preserving Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s History

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Mumbai: Shivaji Jayanti is an occasion to remember the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who shaped Indian history with his valour and vision. However, in a fiery editorial, Shiv Sena UBT mouthpiece Saamana criticised certain fringe groups advocating for the destruction of Aurangzeb’s tomb, comparing it to the Babri Masjid demolition. The editorial argues that such demands distort history, insult Maharashtra’s warrior tradition and attempt to turn Hindutva into extremism.

According to report, those calling for the tomb’s destruction are enemies of Maharashtra’s proud legacy. “They wish to poison the state’s atmosphere and present themselves as Hindu Taliban,” the editorial states, adding that such actions misrepresent Hindutva and disrespect the ideals of Shivaji Maharaj’s Hindavi Swarajya.

The editorial revisits history, stressing that Shivaji Maharaj and the Marathas fought against oppression for 25 years, ultimately ensuring that Aurangzeb met his end in Maharashtra, exhausted and defeated. The presence of Aurangzeb’s tomb in Maharashtra, it argues, is not a mark of Mughal dominance but a symbol of the Marathas’ resilience.

Historical Context & Legacy of Aurangzeb’s Tomb

Aurangzeb waged a long campaign to conquer the Deccan, arriving in Maharashtra in 1681 with an army of eight lakh. His ambition was to establish a ‘second Delhi’ in the region and crush the Marathas. He stayed in Maharashtra for 24 years, struggling to subdue the Marathas.

Despite his vast military resources, he failed. The editorial cites historical records describing his grand procession into Maharashtra, complete with European artillerymen, hill warriors and war elephants, only to be relentlessly resisted by Maratha forces.

Aurangzeb died in 1707 in what is now known as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), a broken man who could not achieve his goal of crushing the Maratha Empire. Saamana states that his tomb stands as a testament to his failure and the Marathas’ ultimate victory.

Calls For Political Action

The editorial strongly urges Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to put an end to what it calls ‘shameful attempts’ to use Shivaji Maharaj’s name for divisive politics. It warns against those trying to erase historical monuments for their own agendas. Instead of destruction, it advocates for understanding and preserving history.

The piece also recalls a historical anecdote involving PM Lad, a senior official in the Union Ministry of Information & Broadcasting during the Samyukta Maharashtra movement. When confronted by leaders questioning Maharashtra’s importance, he would tell them to visit Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The tomb, he believed, symbolised Maratha courage and the Mughal Empire’s downfall.

A Call For True Hindutva

While Saamana acknowledges Aurangzeb’s brutality, it argues that true Hindutva, as exemplified by Shivaji Maharaj, is about honour, tolerance and wisdom, not blind destruction. It calls for Maharashtra’s youth to learn real history instead of engaging in provocative acts that undermine the state’s glorious past.

The editorial concludes by stating that Aurangzeb’s tomb is not a sign of Mughal victory but a reminder of how Maharashtra outlasted and defeated one of the most powerful rulers in history. In a scathing attack against the Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, the editorial ends with, “Chief Minister Fadnavis should shut down this shameful business running in the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj!”

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