Mumbai, March 18: A day after the violence in Maharashtra’s Nagpur over the demand for the demolition of Aurangzeb’s grave, Shiv Sena(UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat should take up spades and shovels and fulfil the wishes of “their” people.

“Whose inspiration is it, why are riots being incited? It is a subject of research. Holi was also spoiled, what happened in Rajapur, and what happened in other areas is known. There have never been riots in Maharashtra during festivals like Holi, tomorrow our own people will try to incite riots on Gudi Padwa. Some people are inciting Hindu-Muslim riots in this state by using Aurangzeb as a shield. They are giving the example of Babri, they are saying that they will destroy Aurangzeb’s grave in Maharashtra like Babri,” said Raut.

Referring to those who are demanding the demolition of Aurangzeb’s grave, he further stated, “The government is yours, Narendra Modi, Devendra Fadnavis are yours, why are you creating riots, the government should go and destroy the grave. It is a government of your own ideas, Mohan Bhagwat, Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar, these four people should take spades and shovels in their hands and fulfil the wishes of their people.”

Raut said the party has been repeatedly saying that the Aurangzeb’s grave is a memorial of the bravery of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. “One Aurangzeb came here. One Afzal Khan came, one Shahiste Khan came and never returned from here. The Mavlas and Sambhaji Raja dug their graves here. This is a symbol of the bravery of the Mavlas. But the ideology of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the BJP from the beginning is to reduce the importance of Sambhaji Raja and Shivaji Maharaj. Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj were never and are not symbols of bravery and victory for the BJP. Therefore, if you eliminate the villain first, you can automatically eliminate the hero. Therefore, attack the villain and eliminate the heroes of Maharashtra,” he alleged.

“Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray pressed for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya at the place where the encroachment took place which was where Babri mosque was situated. We will not interfere with any other mosque or grave. Hindus and Muslims should live in harmony in this country. Then this country and state will survive. It was Balasaheb Thackeray’s stance. Balasaheb’s fight for Hindutva was for the Ram temple, for which Babri was demolished. Balasaheb Thackeray never instilled the Hindutva of getting up every day and demolishing a mosque and breaking a grave,” said Raut.

Commenting on Nagpur violence, Raut said it was not possible for people to come from outside. “If people from outside come to the Chief Minister’s constituency and start riots, and there is massive arson, it means that the Chief Minister is failing as the Home Minister,” he claimed. “If such a riot is happening in his constituency while the Assembly session is underway when the chief minister is talking about law and order, then who are those who are doing this?” he asked.

Raut said he was watching the activists from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal groups coming forward in Nagpur, making provocative statements and issuing warnings on news channels. “They are not from outside. They are definitely people from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad or people from the RSS and they are from Nagpur. They can be recognised. The chief minister must be knowing these people,” he added.