Maharashtra minister Shambhuraj Desai pushes to strip Aurangzeb’s tomb of ‘protected’ status

NEW DELHI: Maharashtra minister Shambhuraj Desai on Thursday said the ruling Shiv Sena has urged the Union government to revoke the ‘protected monument’ status of Aurangzeb’s tomb in Khultabad, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Party MP Rahul Shewale met Union Minister of Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and submitted a memorandum regarding the demand, Desai told PTI.
He added that once the protected status is lifted, the state government will take action within the legal framework.
Right-wing groups, including Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad, have been demanding the removal of the tomb. On March 17, tensions flared in Nagpur when protesters seeking its demolition allegedly burned Aurangzeb’s picture and a ‘chadar’ (green cloth).
The unrest escalated into violence, with a mob vandalizing homes, torching vehicles, and going on a rampage.
Aurangzeb’s tomb, located 30 km from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, is currently protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. The ASI, under the Union ministry of Culture, is responsible for preserving nationally significant monuments, including Qutub Minar, Humayun’s Tomb, Ajanta and Ellora Caves, Sanchi Stupa, and Sun Temple at Konark.
During the Maharashtra assembly budget session, which concluded on Wednesday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that while the state government will protect Aurangzeb’s grave, it will not allow the Mughal emperor’s glorification. He asserted, “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s temple will be glorified, not Aurangzeb’s grave.”