NEW DELHI: Maharashtra Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapak called chief minister Devendra Fadnavis “equally cruel as Aurangzeb”, fanning the political flame over the Mughal emperor who has of late been a centre of political feud.
The BJP-led ruling Mahayuti lashed out at the state Congress chief, calling his remark an “insult to Maharashtra”.
Amid the raging controversy over Aurangzeb and his tomb, Sapkal on Sunday said: “Aurangzeb was a cruel ruler. Today, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is an equally cruel ruler. He always takes support of issues related to religion but does nothing about cases like the murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.”
Condemning Spakal’s statement, Pravin Darekar raised the issue in the House as soon as the day’s session began and said: “Comparing the chief minister, governing the state efficiently, to Aurangzeb is a highly condemnable act and an insult to Maharashtra.”
Darekar also demanded that a case be filed against Sapkal and strict action be taken to set an example, according to news agency PTI.
Opposition leader Ambadas Danve expressed his disapproval of personal attacks but accused the government of having an “Aurangzeb-like mentality”.
Congress leader Bhai Jagtap, however, refuted the allegations, claiming that Sapkal never made such a statement.
Revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule assured the state assembly that the government would seriously consider strict action against Sapkal for his “objectionable” remarks.
Fadnavis’s recent remark on Aurangzeb
Fadnavis said that everyone is in favour of removing Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar but legal constraints exist as the Congress government previously placed the site under the Archaeological Survey of India’s protection.
The matter gained attention after BJP’s Satara MP Udayanraje Bhosale, who descends from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, advocated for the removal of the Mughal king’s tomb situated in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
Controversy after Abu Azmi’s remark
Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi found himself in the center of a heated controversy following his remarks in praise of Aurangzeb. Azmi, who represents the Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar constituency, made the comments while discussing historical portrayals in the Bollywood movie Chhava.
Azmi claimed that history had been misrepresented and that Aurangzeb was not a cruel ruler. “Wrong history is being shown. Aurangzeb built many temples. I do not consider him a cruel ruler.
The battle between Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and Aurangzeb was about state administration, not about a religious conflict between Hindus and Muslims,” Azmi said.
Subsequently, Azmi faced suspension from the Maharashtra legislative assembly until the conclusion of the budget session on March 26, following his statements in support of Aurangzeb.
Who was Aurangzeb?
Aurangzeb was the sixth ruler of the Mughal Empire, reigning from 1658 to 1707. He was the son of Emperor Shah Jahan and is known for expanding the Mughal Empire to its greatest territorial extent, covering almost the entire Indian subcontinent.
Unlike his predecessors, Aurangzeb followed a more orthodox Islamic rule, enforcing religious policies that included the reintroduction of the jizya tax on non-Muslims and restrictions on certain cultural practices.
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