‘Aurangzeb’s tomb is a protected monument but won’t let anyone glorify him’: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was a protected monument  as right-wing organisations demanded its removal. "Whether we like Aurangzeb or not, his tomb is a protected monument. We will not allow anyone to glorify him," Fadnavis stated. 

He said structures "outside the purview of law” should be removed. Right-wing organisations have been demanding the removal of the 17th-century Mughal ruler's tomb at Khultabad town in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. Rumours about a "chadar" with holy inscriptions being burnt during protests led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) seeking the removal of the tomb triggered violence in Nagpur earlier this month.

Earlier Raj Thackeray, chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), condemned efforts to incite religious tensions over Aurangzeb's tomb. He urged the public to learn history from books rather than rely on misinformation from social media. 

"Don’t we want to let the world know that these people sought to destroy the Marathas but were wiped out instead. Stop reading history on WhatsApp and rather delve into history books," he said. 

“We have forgotten the real issues of the present time. Hindus who feel awakened after a movie are of no use. Did you learn about Sambhaji Maharaj’s sacrifice because of Vicky Kaushal and about Aurangazeb because of Akshaye Khanna,” Thackeray asked.

Moreover, Fadnavis, addressing criticism from Congress leader Sonia Gandhi regarding the New Education Policy 2020, advocated for the Indianisation of education. "We are Indianising education. The British introduced an education system aimed at making Indians their subordinates. There should be no opposition to Indianising education. Any patriot would support it. Sonia Gandhi should gather proper information and support this initiative," he insisted. 

He also outlined missions for the 2027 Kumbh Mela and river cleanliness, emphasising the need for effluent treatment before releasing wastewater into rivers.

On the economic front, the Maharashtra Chief Minister announced a phased plan to reduce power tariffs over the next five years, with an aim to make the state's power distribution company “which is currently under Rs 70,000 crore to Rs 80,000 crore debt, will be debt-free in the next four to five years”.