Demand to remove Aurangzeb's tomb: 'The government will do its work, you do your work', Rane told Hindutva organizations

Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane on Monday, referring to the demolition of the Babri Masjid, told Hindutva organizations that the government will fulfill its responsibility and they should fulfill their responsibility. Meanwhile, right-wing organizations demanded the removal of the tomb of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb. Rane, who is in the news for his controversial statements, also condemned attempts to present Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as a 'secular king'.

At the same time, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) held a protest in Khuldabad in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, calling Aurangzeb's tomb a symbol of 'suffering and slavery'. Addressing a gathering on the occasion of Shivaji Maharaj's birth anniversary at Shivneri Fort, the birthplace of Shivaji Maharaj, Rane said, "The government will do its work and Hindutva organizations should do their work. When the Babri Masjid was being demolished, we were not talking to each other. Our karsevaks did what was right."

The VHP demonstrated outside government offices in various parts of Maharashtra and submitted memorandums demanding the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb. After this, the VHP warned that if the government did not take any action, they would march to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district and demolish the tomb.

Criticizing attempts to project Shivaji Maharaj as a 'secular king', Rane said, "We should emphasize that Shivaji Maharaj was the founder of Hindavi Swarajya. This identity should be repeated again and again to thwart the efforts of some groups who are trying to project him as a secular king." He also said that there were no Muslim soldiers in Shivaji Maharaj's army. Rane said, "It is not right that only some people understand history and others do not. We also have sources of knowledge that guide us."