‘Hindus who feel awakened after a movie are of no use’: Raj Thackeray on Aurangzeb tomb row

Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray asked people to not learn history on WhatsApp, and questioned whether people came to learn of Sambhaji Maharaj’s sacrifice because of a movie. He also said people should be more worried about the state of infrastructure and the natural resources. A person’s religion should remain within his four walls, he said.

Thackeray, during his annual Gudhi Padwa rally in Mumbai slammed attempts to incite religious tensions over Aurangzeb’s tomb. “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.

The MNS chief said history should not be viewed from the lens of caste and religion. Aurangzeb wanted to “kill a thought called Shivaji” but ended up dying in Maharashtra instead, he added.

Thackeray’s comments were in response to right-wing outfits that called for the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb, located in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. Protests to remove the tomb had triggered violence in Nagpur earlier this month. 

He pointed out that the socio-political situations were different in pre- and post-Shivaji periods. “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,” he asked.

The MNS chief’s reference was to the recently-released period drama ‘Chhaava’ based on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, who was tortured and killed by Aurangzeb. He asserted that people who provoke others for their selfish political aspirations were not concerned about history. Aurangzeb was born in Dahod, Gujarat, he added.

“Religion should remain within the four walls of your home. A Hindu identifies as a Hindu only when Muslims take to the streets or during riots; otherwise, Hindus are divided by caste,” he said.

Moreover, the MNS chief alleged that the popular 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin' scheme introduced by the BJP-led government might be discontinued. He expressed his disappointment, stating, "I told you earlier, but you believed them and not me." Opposition parties have criticised the Mahayuti government, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, for failing to increase the monthly financial assistance under the Ladki Bahin programme from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,100, as promised in their election manifesto prior to last year's assembly elections.

Thackeray also emphasised the importance of making the use of the Marathi language mandatory for official purposes. He issued a warning, saying, "If you live here and don’t speak the language, you will be dealt with appropriately." Thackeray also condemned the pollution of rivers under the guise of religious practices. He showed a video allegedly depicting bodies being burnt and disposed of in the river Ganga. He questioned, "What kind of religion is this if we destroy our natural resources? Rs 33,000 crore has been spent on cleaning the Ganga and it is still ongoing. Shouldn’t we reform ourselves?"

He further claimed that the rivers in Maharashtra are heavily polluted, noting that out of the 311 most polluted river patches in the country, 55 are located in Maharashtra. According to him, Mumbai once had five rivers, and four have already been destroyed. The only "surviving" river, Mithi, is on the verge of dying due to sewage water, encroachments, and the discharge of chemical waste.