Senior RSS leader calls Aurangzeb row unnecessary: ‘Tomb will remain’

Senior RSS leader Suresh 'Bhaiyyaji' Joshi on Monday termed the controversy over Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's tomb in Maharashtra "unnecessary".

"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," Joshi was quoted as saying by PTI.

"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.

Joshi was responding to a question about Raj Thackeray's comments about the issue of the Mughal emperor's tomb.

Also Read | Raj Thackeray calls for unity of Marathi manoos, asks youngsters not to fall for WhatsApp history

Raj Thackeray, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief, on Sunday urged people not to succumb to the politics of caste and religion-based hatred and not to look at history from a communal perspective.

He had 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.

Also Read | Over 800 communal incidents in less than 3 months in Maharashtra: Cops

“Shivaji Maharaj was fighting feudalism,” he said. “Don’t look at the caste and religion of the commander or employees of 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 the real problems of society," he had said.

The remarks by the RSS leader and Thackeray come amid demand from some outfits for the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's tomb.

Earlier this month, rumours about a "chadar" with holy inscriptions being burnt during protests led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) seeking the removal of the tomb triggered violence in Nagpur.

Inputs from PTI