Shiv Sena MLAs demand removal of Aurangzeb’s grave, protest at Maharashtra Assembly

The Shiv Sena legislators' protest took place minutes after the opposition's protest demanding the removal of BJP minister for fisheries and ports Nitesh Rane for allegedly spreading hatred in the state.

Mumbai:  Shiv Sena ministers and MLAs on Tuesday staged a protest at the entrance of the Maharashtra Legislature demanding the immediate removal of Aurangzeb’s grave in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

Ministers Bharat Gogavale, and Prakash Abitkar, who were accompanied by the legislators, Vijay Shivtare, Santosh Bangar, Manisha Kayande, Sanjay Gaikwad among others, raised slogans to press their demand and displayed banners, saying, “Destroy the grave of Aurangzeb, who inhumanly tortured Shambhu Raja.”

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“Shiv Sena strongly demands the removal of the grave. Keep four shoes near the grave so that those coming and going will hit the grave with their shoes,” said Minister Bharat Gogavale. Legislator Santosh Bangar criticised that those who glorify Aurangzeb have no right to live in India.

The Shiv Sena legislators’ protest took place minutes after the opposition’s protest demanding the removal of BJP minister for fisheries and ports Nitesh Rane for allegedly spreading hatred in the state.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in the state council claimed that Aurangzeb’s grave was a “stain” on Maharashtra.

He targeted the Shiv Sena-UBT over the party legislator Anil Parab’s recent statement that he was tortured like Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.

“What torture did you undergo? I know that you also bowed down after action was taken against you. But after being released from the case, you made a turnaround.”

Deputy CM Shinde said: “Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was brutally killed by Aurangzeb. His eyes were gouged out, his tongue was cut out, his skin was peeled, and salt was rubbed on it, were you (opposition) subjected to such atrocities? You accepted helplessness for power. You broke the alliance for the chief minister’s chair. Also, when the Maha Vikas Aghadi government was in power, you had a plot to throw four BJP leaders in jail and break their MLAs. But I turned my back on you for the sake of the alliance and the thoughts of the Hindu heartthrob Balasaheb Thackeray. What I did, I did openly. Nearly 33 countries of the world took note of it. Who is Eknath Shinde? Searches were conducted in 33 countries.”

“In 2022, I did not do anything secretly, whatever I did, I did with a bold heart. But your leaders (Thackeray group) secretly met the BJP leaders. They said they would form an alliance. But they backtracked,” he claimed.

While speaking about the Nagpur violence, Deputy CM Shinde said there is evidence that it was a pre-planned one.