Hindu seer urges removal of Aurangzeb's tomb

The Hindu

30-04-2025

Shankaracharya Pragyananand Saraswati Maharaj of the Dwarka Sharda Jyotish Peeth has called upon Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to order the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's tomb, along with other graves of what he described as 'invaders,' asserting that it is the CM's 'foremost duty'.
In a televised interview with a vernacular news channel on Tuesday, the seer warned that if the State government did not act, adherents of Sanatana Dharma would be compelled to intervene directly.
'You have preserved land for Aurangzeb, whose ideological descendants — now fundamentalists and extremists — are attacking Hindus,' he said. 'The first responsibility of Devendra Fadnavis is to remove and eliminate the graves of Aurangzeb and other invaders from Maharashtra. If the government does not act, SanatanaDharmis will be forced to step forward,' he said.
The remarks come amid simmering communal sensitivities. Tensions escalated in March following renewed demands for the demolition of Aurangzeb's tomb in Khultabad, near Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, which prompted the deployment of additional security. Violence subsequently broke out in Nagpur's Mahal area on March 17, after unverified rumours circulated about the desecration of a religious text during a right-wing demonstration.
Aurangzeb continues to be a polarising historical figure in Maharashtra, chiefly due to his repressive measures against the Maratha resistance, including the execution of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, son of the Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
When asked about the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, the seer characterised it as an assault on Sanatana Dharma, which he claimed embodies inclusivity. 'Today, Hindus are unable to safeguard their lives. Islam, which once received refuge in this land, is now taking those very lives,' he said.
The Shankaracharya also dismissed arguments that Aurangzeb's tomb holds historical value as part of the Maratha legacy. Drawing a parallel with Uttar Pradesh, he urged CM Fadnavis to take a more assertive approach akin to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's stance on 'anti-national and anti-religious elements'.
'Why does the tomb still exist? That chapter of history — one that desecrated our temples and persecuted our revered leaders — should have been expunged long ago. Aurangzeb's legacy has no place in this nation,' he said.