Akbaruddin Owaisi (left) and Gajanan Kale (File Photos)Days after All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Akbaruddin Owaisi visited the grave of Aurangzeb at Khuldabad in Aurangabad, triggering a political controversy, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has demanded that the Mughal emperor’s tomb be demolished and hit out at Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
“What is the need of Aurangzeb’s grave in the land of Shivaji Maharaj? Demolish this grave.. so that no separatists will come to bow on it. Even Balasaheb Thackeray had said the same, don’t you want to listen to anything of Balasaheb?” MNS spokesperson Gajanan Kale tweeted.
On May 8, Owaisi had visited Aurangabad to lay a foundation stone for his school for underprivileged children. During the trip, Owaisi visited several dargahs in Khuldabad and subsequently visited the tomb of Aurangazeb, a move that was criticised by several politicians in the state. Some BJP leaders had even demanded that the state government book Owaisi under sedition charges.
Demolish Aurangzeb’s tomb, MNS tells Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray
“In an interview given to ‘Saamana’ (the mouthpiece of Shiv Sena) by Balasaheb Thackeray in 2000, he had said that Aurangzeb’s tomb should be demolished and it should not be rebuilt ever. Is this Thackeray government going to listen to at least Balasaheb? You have already taken a U-turn on renaming (Aurangabad as) Sambhaji Nagar, the issue of loudspeakers…at least on this, Thackeray government is going to listen to Balasaheb or not? Or just keep talking about asli (real) and nakli (fake) Hindutva?” Kale said in a video.
Earlier this year, the chief minister had said he would never strike an alliance with parties such as the AIMIM, which “bow their heads down at the tomb of Aurangzeb”.
Earlier, Aurangabad MP Imtiaz Jaleel had said that after visiting Khuldabad, everyone visits Aurangzeb’s tomb and it was wrong to create any controversy over this.
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