Aurangzeb

Rana Pratap, Shivaji Maharaj real national heroes, not Aurangzeb: Rajnath

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said Maharana Pratap and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj are national heroes and not Mughal ruler Aurangzeb. Speaking at a function after unveiling a life-size statue of the Mewar ruler at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra, Singh said Maharana Pratap was an epitome of courage and patriotism. "Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj drew inspiration from Maharana Pratap, especially for guerilla warfare tactics," Singh said. Post-Independence historians with Left leanings did not give due credit to both Rana Pratap and Shivaji Maharaj but eulogised Aurangzeb, the senior BJP leader claimed. "Those who feel that Aurangzeb was a hero should have read Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who wrote that the Mughal emperor was a cruel, fundamentalist ruler," he said. Maharana Pratap sacrificed his life to uphold his self-respect and challenged the dominance of Mughal Emperor Akbar, Singh further said. Apart from his exemplary bravery, Maharana Pratap united all section

The new bad boy of B-town: Aurangzeb joins Gabbar and Mogambo in infamy

The sixth Mughal emperor, Aurangazeb, is the hot villain in Indian cinema now. But what do our favourite villains say about us?

Raj Thackeray warns against 'communal provocation' over Aurangzeb tomb row

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray said people are being made to fight in the name of history, and politicians exploit these issues. 'Stop reading history on WhatsApp,' he urged

Aurangzeb's tomb protected, glorification won't be allowed: Fadnavis

While Aurangzeb's tomb remains a protected site, Fadnavis said structures violating legal provisions will be removed and glorification won't be tolerated

Prohibitory orders in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar from Mar 25 to Apr 8

Prohibitory orders have been imposed in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city in view of the agitations against Aurangzeb's tomb and to maintain law and order during the upcoming festivals, officials said on Monday. Police Commissioner Pravin Pawar has imposed the prohibitory orders, to be in force from March 25 to April 8, an official said. Notably, several right-wing organisations have been demanding the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's tomb located at Khultabad in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. The police order mentioned the upcoming events like Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj's death anniversary (March 29), Gudi Padva festival (March 30), Eid, Jhulelal Jayanti (March 31) and Ram Navami (April 6). There is also a probability that right-wing outfits may hold an agitation against Aurangzeb's tomb, and various communities may also organise protests, it said. Hence, to maintain law and order, prohibitory orders have been imposed in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city under

Tin sheets erected on sides of Aurangzeb's tomb in Maharashtra's Khultabad

Amid demands that the tomb of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb situated in Maharashtra's Sambhajinagar district be removed, the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has put up tin sheets on two sides of the 18th century structure. The decision was taken by the district administration two days ago when collector Dilip Swami and Superintendent of Police Vinaykumar Rathod visited the tomb at Khultabad with ASI officials. Tin sheets and wire fencing were put up on two sides of the structure on Wednesday night, a local official said. A circular fence will also be installed around the tomb, a senior district official said. "The green net covering two sides of the tomb was in bad shape, and the structure was visible to those visiting the nearby Khwaja Syed Zainuddin Chishti grave. So we have installed tin sheets," he told PTI. A protest by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal seeking the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb led to violence in Nagpur on Monday. The 17th century Mughal emperor is in f

Nagpur violence: Mughal emperor Aurangzeb 'not relevant anymore', says RSS

The group also condemned the recent violence in Nagpur, stating that it is harmful for the society's health. It added that the 17th-century Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was "not relevant" anymore

Remove Aurangzeb tomb's protected tag to prevent riots: UBT Sena

Violence erupted in Nagpur on Monday after stones were hurled at police amid rumours that the holy book of a community was burnt during an agitation by a right-wing body

Who was Aurangzeb, 17th-century Mughal ruler who remains controversial?

While popular narratives describe Aurangzeb's policies as intolerant towards non-Islamic faiths, some historians argue they were more politically motivated

What fuelled the Nagpur violence? | Aurangzeb | Devendra Fadnavis | Curfew | Maharashtra

Eknath Shinde labels those praising Aurangzeb as 'traitors' on Shiv Jayanti

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has said the people still praising Aurangzeb are "traitors", noting the Mughal emperor had sought to conquer the state and committed various atrocities. On the other hand, Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was the "divine force" who stood for valour, sacrifice and the spirit of Hindutva, Shinde said on Monday night on the occasion of 'Shiv Jayanti'. The Shiv Sena head was speaking at the unveiling of an equestrian statue of Shivaji Maharaj at Gharda Chowk in Dombivli area of Thane district, installed to honour the legacy of the Maratha king, his courage and leadership. His remarks come amid demands from some right-wing outfits for the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb located in the state's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. Notably, violence erupted in central Nagpur on Monday following rumours that the holy book of a community was burnt during an agitation by a right-wing body for the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb. Speaking at the

Aurangzeb row leads to violent clashes, curfew in Nagpur: What we know so far

Tensions flared in Nagpur over the Aurangzeb row, leading to violent clashes, injuries, and arson. Authorities imposed curfew as security forces worked to restore order

SP MLA Abu Azmi gets anticipatory bail in Aurangzeb remarks case

A Mumbai court on Tuesday granted anticipatory bail to Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi in a case filed against him for remarks praising Mughal emperor Aurangzeb after he submitted the comments were not made to insult any personality or hurt religious sentiments. His pre-arrest bail plea was allowed by Additional Sessions Judge V G Raghuwanshi. A reasoned court order was not available yet. Seeking anticipatory bail, Azmi, suspended from the Maharashtra legislative assembly till March 26, submitted in the court that his statements were made to the press "spontaneously without any premeditated intention to insult any personality or hurt the religious feelings of any person". While granting relief to the politician, the court imposed a set of conditions, which included furnishing a solvent surety bond of Rs 20,000. The court asked the opposition legislator to the visit south Mumbai's Marine drive police station, where the case was registered, for three days (on March 12, 13, 15) and ...

Abu Azmi pays tribute to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj amid controversy

Last week, Abu Asim Azmi was suspended from the legislative assembly until the conclusion of the ongoing budget session on March 26 following his remarks praising Aurangzeb

Maharashtra CM Fadnavis supports call for removal of Aurangzeb's tomb

Statement of Devendra Fadnavis came in response to BJP's Satara MP Udayanraje Bhosale, who has called for the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district

SP MLA Abu Azmi suspended from Maharashtra Assembly for Aurangzeb remark

Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi had reportedly said that Aurangzeb was not a 'cruel administrator' and 'built many temples'

Abu Azmi withdraws Aurangzeb remark after uproar, Mahayuti seeks action

As proceedings of both the Houses began, the Mahayuti members started raising slogans seeking action against the SP's state president

MLA Azmi's praise for Aurangzeb rocks Maharashtra Assembly; House adjourned

Members of the ruling Mahayuti on Tuesday demanded suspension of Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi from the Maharashtra assembly and that he booked for treason for eulogising Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The uproar over the issue led to the House being adjourned for the day after multiple disruptions, as the members, including Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, remained steadfast on their demand for action against Azmi. Soon after the House proceedings began, the ruling alliance members claimed Azmi was a descendent of Aurangzeb, who tortured Maratha king Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and brutally killed him. Atul Bhatkalkar (BJP) demanded that Azmi be booked for treason and be suspended from the assembly for the budget session. Shiv Sena minister Gulabrao Patil also demanded action against Azmi. Sudhir Mungantiwar (BJP) demanded that Aurangazeb's grave be demolished. Sensing the belligerent mood of the members, speaker Rahul Narwekar first adjourned the House for 10 minutes. When

Aurangzeb remarks: Mumbai Police probes into case against SP MLA Abu Azmi

The Mumbai Police have started an investigation into a case against Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi over his remarks eulogising Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, officials said on Tuesday. An FIR was registered on Monday against Azmi by police in neighbouring Thane on a complaint of Lok Sabha member Naresh Mhaske for allegedly attempting to hurt religious feelings. The Thane police subsequently transferred the FIR to Mumbai, where a fresh case was registered at Marine Drive police station on Tuesday against Azmi under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, an official said. Azmi, who is the Samajwadi Party's Maharashtra president, had said that during Aurangzeb's reign, India's border reached Afghanistan and Burma (Myanmar). "Our GDP accounted for 24 per cent (of the world GDP)) and India was called a golden sparrow (during his regime)," claimed the MLA from the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar constituency in Mumbai. Asked about the fight between Aurangzeb and Maratha king Chhatrapati

Ram, not Aurangzeb part of India's heritage: BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad

Former Union minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad hit out at the Congress on Saturday, saying its leader Rahul Gandhi needs to change his tutor as he is unaware of facts, as he slammed the opposition party over Emergency. Participating in a debate in the Lok Sabha on 75 years of the Constitution's adoption, Prasad said the framers of the Constitution knew that the Indian heritage is secular in nature as mentioned in the "Rigveda". He said the original Constitution had pictures of Lord Ram, Lord Hanuman and Mughal emperor Akbar, but not of Babar and Aurangzeb. He said in a hypothetical situation, if the Constitution was framed today, the opposition would have protested the insertion of such pictures in it. Attacking the Congress over the imposition of Emergency in the country, the former law minister said lakhs of people were sent to jail and opposition leaders targeted. He said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reached here after facing lathis (sticks) and bullets