Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated on the floor of the Maharashtra assembly on Monday that the state government will protect Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar but will never allow the glorification of the long dead emperor, after he faced repeated calls for the removal of the grave by BJP members.

“We will protect Aurangzeb’s grave but not allow glorification of his memory. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s temple will be glorified and not Aurangzeb’s grave. It is unfortunate that we have to protect Aurangzeb’s tomb since it was declared a protected site by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) 50 years ago. As a result, it is the responsibility of the Central and state governments to protect it. Aurangzeb killed thousands of our people but we have to protect his grave. However, I promise that no matter what happens, I will not allow Aurangzeb’s grave to be glorified. I will crush the idea of glorifying Aurangzeb,” Fadnavis stated.

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However, on March 10, Fadnavis himself suggested that Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s grave which is a protected monument under the Archeological Survey of India (ASI), should be removed from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, by using legal means, in response to an appeal to do so from BJP MLAs.

The controversy about Aurangzeb and his grave erupted in February after Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Abu Azmi praised the Mughal emperor. Azmi was suspended from the Maharashtra legislative assembly till the end of the budget session after he was criticised by members of the ruling and opposition parties.

After the controversy was triggered, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut had accused Fadnavis of engineering the Aurangazeb controversy to divert attention from Dhananjay Munde issue which was in public memory back then.

“In the Legislative Assembly, they (Fadnavis government) were cornered over Dhananjay Munde. So, the BJP instructed Abu Azmi to issue a statement, to trigger a drama. Abu Azmi and Owaisi frequently indulge in such tactics,” Raut had stated, hinting that Fadnavis had taken advantage of the popularity of the recently released Hindi film ‘Chhaava’, which had highlighted Aurangzeb’s cruelties.

However, as things stand, organisations like the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad submitted a memorandum to the state government on Monday, urging legal action to remove the grave and warned of “karseva” and statewide protests if their demand is not met. BJP’s Satara MP Udayanraje Bhosale, a descendant of Maratha king Shivaji Maharaj, has also sought the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra state Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal on Monday lashed out at the Fadnavis government for “diverting attention from real issues.”

“By removing Aurangzeb’s grave, will the farmers’ problems be solved? Will lakhs of people get jobs if Aurangzeb’s tomb is discussed? There are some ministers who are instigating people. These ministers rose to power by taking an oath on the Constitution. The entire history of Shivaji Maharaj is connected to this grave. When after 200 or 500 years, Shivaji Maharaj’s name will be mentioned, this tomb will also be mentioned. Therefore, whatever is related to Shivaji Maharaj should be preserved,” Sapkal said.

Earlier, on Sunday, Sapkal said that Fadnavis is as “cruel” as the Mughal emperor. “Aurangzeb was a cruel ruler. Aurangzeb put his own father in jail. Also, Aurangzeb always took the help of religion. Today, Devendra Fadnavis is equally cruel. He always takes the help of religion.

Therefore, the administration of Aurangzeb and Devendra Fadnavis is the same,” Sapkal said, prompting the BJP to call Sapkal’s statement “extremely childish”.