Political row in Maharashtra over Akbaruddin Owaisi’s visit to Aurangzeb’s tomb

A political row has sparked off in Maharashtra after the visit of controversial AIMIM leader Telangana MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi to Aurangabad during which he paid tributes at the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and later slammed politicians of the state.

Aurangzeb’s tomb is located in Khuldabad near Aurangabad city.

During the visit, Owaisi, who is brother of AIMIM President and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s brother and was accompanied by AIMIM MLA from Aurangabad Imtiaz Jaleel and former MLA Waris Pathan.

During a meeting, Owaisi, without naming MNS President Raj Thackeray while referring to the Azan-Hanuman Chalisa row, said: “I have not come here to answer anyone, nor to call anyone bad. I don't want to answer anyone. I have a MP and you are homeless, you are missing, you have been evicted from your own house. I would say that those who bark, let them bark.”

When the party came under fire for visit to Aurangazeb’s tomb, Jaleel said: “There are many dargahs of spiritual leaders at Khuldabad. Anyone coming to Khuldabad comes to the resting place of Aurangzeb. There is no need to interpret this differently,” Jaleel said. The BJP, however, slammed the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi for not taking action against Owaisi.

“You are trying to challenge us…we have put them…the Marathas have put him there..Aurangzeb was not a Sufi saint… for 25 years Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Marathas have fought him…he (Owaisi) too will have to go to the same place,” he said.

BJP MLA Nitesh Rane said: “I am appealing, please keep the police out for 10 minutes, we will send him to the same place where Aurangzeb is.”

Veteran politician and former Shiv Sena MP Chandrakant Khaire said ”No one, neither a Hindu nor a Muslim, visits the tomb as Aurangzeb was the cruellest Mughal emperor. But Owaisi and his people are trying to create a controversy for political benefit”.