Aurangzeb Tomb Row: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has condemned attempts to incite communal tension over the alleged tomb of Aurangzeb. Thackeray said during a rally on Sunday () that history should not be seen through the prism of caste and religion. He asked people not to depend on WhatsApp messages for information related to history. Addressing the annual Gudi Padwa rally at Mumbai's famous Shivaji Park, Thackeray said that the Mughal rulers wanted to kill an idea. That is Shivaji, but they failed.
He said that Bijapur's general Afzal Khan was buried near the Pratapgad fort. This was not possible without the permission of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Thackeray urged people not to get provoked and not get distracted, saying that the socio-political conditions were different in the pre-Shivaji and post-Shivaji eras.
According to PTI, the MNS chief said, "We have forgotten the real issues of the present times. Hindus who wake up after watching a movie are of no use. Did you learn about Sambhaji Maharaj's sacrifice by watching Vicky Kaushal or Aurangzeb by watching Akshaye Khanna?"
Raj Thackeray's remarks come amid demands by right-wing organisations to remove the mausoleum of cruel Mughal ruler Aurangzeb located in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. Protests on the issue had also sparked violence in Nagpur earlier this month.
He said, "Don't we want to tell the world that these people tried to finish off the Marathas. But instead they were wiped out. Stop reading history on WhatsApp and go deep into history books." Urging people not to get provoked and distracted, he said the socio-political conditions were different in the pre-Shivaji and post-Shivaji eras.
Thackeray was referring to the recently released period drama 'Chhava', which is based on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. He was tortured and killed by Aurangzeb. He said Aurangzeb was born in Dahod, Gujarat.
He asserted that those who incite people for their selfish political aspirations have no concern with history. Raj Thackeray said no country can progress on the basis of religion and cited the example of Turkey to show how it "reformed" itself.
