NEW DELHI: Union minister Ramdas Athawale in a demands to remove Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, instead advocating for a grand memorial to Chhatrapati Sambhaji at the site.
Speaking to reporters in Dehradun on Sunday, the Republican Party of India (Athawale) leader said that removing the tomb would not serve any purpose. “Don’t remove his grave. But there should be a big memorial to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje in Sambhajinagar,” he stated.
Athawale’s remarks come amid protests by certain Hindu groups demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb, alleging that the 17th-century Mughal ruler was responsible for atrocities against Hindus. He, however, pointed out that the site is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
“We have to move forward with the ideology of Sambhaji Maharaj but there should be peace in the country,” he said.
Urging Muslims to disassociate themselves from Aurangzeb, Athawale added, “My request to the Muslim community is that you should not associate yourself with Aurangzeb. The Muslims here were Hindus. The Muslims here are not the children of Aurangzeb. They have no relation with him.”
Reiterating his stance, Athawale said, “There is a demand to remove the grave of Aurangzeb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. I think this cemetery is there for the last 500-600 years and it comes under the Archaeological Survey of India… The demand to remove that grave is not right. That grave is important for the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj… There should be complete peace in Maharashtra…”