Lyricist and screenwriter Manoj Muntashir on Tuesday sparked fresh debate over the relevance of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s grave in India, calling it a "monument of national shame". “Aurangzeb's grave is a monument of national shame. What is there in that place that any Indian should be proud of? If Aurangzeb's grave is a place for one to be proud of, then they need to think again about their patriotism,” Muntashir said in a video message on X.
Speaking on the legal battle for the Ram Temple, he referenced arguments made by opponents of the temple, saying, “When we were fighting a legal battle for the Ram Temple, they had given us advice that Ram is present in every particle, so a hospital or a school should be built there instead. I want to repeat what they said.”
'No need to destroy it, build a toilet there'
Muntashir further suggested that instead of demolishing Aurangzeb's grave, it should be repurposed for public welfare. "There is no need to destroy Aurangzeb's grave. Instead, a toilet should be built on it. Swachh Bharat Mission is going on. What can be a better place than Aurangzeb's grave to build more toilets in the country?” he remarked.
Muntashir’s statement comes amid growing demands to remove Aurangzeb’s tomb from Maharashtra, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stating that while he supports the move, it must be done "within the framework of the law". “We all also want the same thing, but you need to do it within the framework of the law because it is a protected site. The site was put under ASI’s (Archaeological Survey of India) protection during the Congress regime some years back,” Fadnavis said.
The demand gained momentum after BJP's Satara MP Udayanraje Bhosale, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, sought the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. BJP's Navneet Rana also called for its removal while slamming Samajwadi Party’s Abu Azmi, who recently praised Aurangzeb, claiming he built temples and was not a cruel emperor. Azmi was suspended from the Maharashtra legislative assembly over his remarks.
Amish Tripathi backs renaming places named after Aurangzeb
Author Amish Tripathi recently demanded that all places named after Aurangzeb should be renamed in honor of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj or Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. “I think that EVERY SINGLE PLACE named after the Timurid barbarian Aurangzeb should be renamed after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj or Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj,” Tripathi wrote, citing The New York Times, which ranked Aurangzeb among history’s most genocidal rulers, alongside Mao Zedong and Joseph Stalin.