BJP giving more importance to Aurangzeb than Shivaji Maharaj: Shiv Sena (UBT) attacks former ally

Mumbai: Amid growing demand to demolish Aurangzeb's tomb, opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday attacked the BJP, claiming that the ruling party considers the Mughal emperor more important than Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

It also said the Centre should remove the protected monument tag of Aurangzeb's tomb, located in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, to "prevent riots and cool down the heads of fanatics" in the state.

Violence erupted in Nagpur on Monday after stones were hurled at police amid rumours that the holy book of a community was burnt during an agitation by a right-wing body for the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb.

In an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana', the Shiv Sena (UBT) said after the Chhava movie, the RSS, Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the "neo-Hindutvavadis" of the BJP have been raising the heat over Aurangzeb's tomb and disturbing the atmosphere in Maharashtra.

The Vicky Kaushal-starrer movie Chhava is based on the life of Sambhaji Maharaj, the second Chhatrapati of the Maratha empire who was brutally killed by Aurangzeb.

"It is now evident that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis gives more importance to Aurangzeb than Shivaji Maharaj because the latter's policy was to take everyone along. But this policy was never acceptable to the BJP in the past and not even now," the Uddhav Thackeray-led party alleged.

While ministers' resort to spreading hate, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the Home minister, is keeping mum, it said.

"There is no need to create a scene over Aurangzeb's tomb. He (Aurangzeb) is in his grave and he is not going to come out of it," the editorial said.

It further said the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) is currently giving protection to Aurangzeb's tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly known as Aurangabad) since it is an Archaeological Survey of India protected monument.

"The Centre should withdraw the protection and also the tag of protected monument site given to the tomb so that the land will be freed and there will be no scope of further escalation of tension," it said.

"This will prevent riots and cool down the heads of fanatics," it said.

The BJP or the RSS did not consider Chhatrapati Shivaji or Chhatrapati Sambhaji as the ideological symbols, the Sena (UBT) said, claiming that the BJP wants to reduce the importance of Chhatrapati Shivaji and Chhatrapati Sambhaji.

The BJP's aim is to first finish Aurangzeb because once the "villain" is over, then it is easy to finish heroes like Chhatrapati Shivaji and Chhatrapati Sambhaji, it added.