Union minister Ramdas Athawale has voiced his opposition to the demand for the demolition of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's grave in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, saying its removal will not serve any purpose.
Talking to reporters here on Saturday night, the Republican Party of India-Athawale leader also said the matter should not be politicised.
Some right wing outfits have called for the removal of Aurangzeb's grave located at Khuldabad in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Organisations like Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad plan to submit a memorandum to the state government on Monday, urging legal action to remove the grave and have warned of 'karseva' and statewide protests if the demand is not met.
BJP's Satara MP Udayanraje Bhosale, a descendant of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, had sought the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Aurangzeb is remembered in Maharashtra for his battles with the Marathas, who resisted his expansionist ambitions. Shivaji Maharaj's son, Sambhaji, was captured, tortured, and executed on his orders.
Athawale said it is true that Aurangzeb was cruel and killed (Shivaji Maharaj's son) Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. But, he failed to conquer the (Maratha) kingdom and ultimately died in Maharashtra.
"His tomb has existed for many years, and there is no need to reopen this issue. The tomb stands as a reminder of his misdeeds, and its removal will serve no purpose," said the leader, whose party is an ally of the ruling BJP.
Asked about some BJP leaders raising the issue, Athawale said he does not believe that this matter should be politicised.
"Neither the BJP nor any other party is involved in this controversy. It is inappropriate to describe Aurangzeb as an astute administrator or compare the BJP regime to his rule," the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment said.
Athawale said that since Aurangzeb was buried there (in Khuldabad), his tomb should remain undisturbed.
Notably, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Friday called the BJP rule in Maharashtra worse than that of Aurangzeb and claimed farmers were dying in the state because of the saffron party.
Earlier this month, Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asmi Azmi was suspended from the state assembly till the end of its budget session on March 26 following his remarks eulogising Aurangzeb.
The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar administration in an order on Saturday barred Hindutva leader Milind Ekbote from entering the district from March 16 to April 5 amid calls from some outfits to remove Aurangzeb's grave.
The order said Ekbote's organisation Dharmaveer Sambhaji Maharaj Pratisthan pays homage to the warrior-king annually in Pune and intelligence inputs were received about him and his supporters possibly coming to Khuldabad to remove Aurangzeb's tomb.
The district administration's order said the views of several people on Aurangzeb's grave has "gone extreme" after the release of the film "Chhaava" as can be seen from social media posts.
It added that the VHP and Bajrang Dal have planned agitations from March 17 seeking removal of the tomb.
Meanwhile, security has been heightened around the site and visitors are being checked thoroughly.
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