Remove protected monument tag from Aurangzeb's tomb to prevent riots, defuse tension: Sena (UBT)
Mumbai, Mar 19 (PTI): Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday said the Centre should remove the protected monument tag of Aurangzeb's tomb, located in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, to prevent riots and to cool down the heads of fanatics in the state.
Violence erupted in Nagpur on Monday after stones were hurled at police amid rumours that the holy book of a community was burnt during an agitation by a right-wing body for the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb.
In an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana', the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said that since the release of "Chhaava" movie, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the "neo-Hindutvavadis" of the BJP have been raising the heat over Aurangzeb's tomb and disturbing the atmosphere in the state.
The Vicky Kaushal-starrer movie "Chhaava" is based on the life of Sambhaji Maharaj, the second Chhatrapati of the Maratha empire who was brutally killed by Aurangzeb. The film was released on February 14.
"There is no need to create a scene over Aurangzeb's tomb. He (Aurangzeb) is in his grave and he is not going to come out of it," the editorial said.
It further said the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) is currently giving protection to Aurangzeb's tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly known as Aurangabad) since it is an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected monument.
"The Centre should withdraw the protection and also the tag of a protected monument site given to the tomb so that the land will be freed and there will be no scope of further escalation of tension," it said.
"This will prevent riots and cool down the heads of fanatics," it added.
The editorial came a day after party chief Uddhav Thackeray slammed the BJP for raking up a "400-year-old issue" and said the government should raze the tomb.
Raze Aurangzeb's tomb immediately, but do call Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart Chandrababu Naidu when that happens, Thackeray said on Tuesday.
"It is now evident that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis gives more importance to Aurangzeb than to Shivaji Maharaj because the latter's policy was to take everyone along. But this policy was never acceptable to the BJP in the past and not even now," the 'Saamana' editorial alleged.
While ministers' resort to spreading hate, CM Fadnavis, who is also the home minister, is keeping mum, it said.
The BJP or the RSS did not consider Chhatrapati Shivaji or Chhatrapati Sambhaji as the ideological symbols, the Sena (UBT) said, claiming that the BJP wants to reduce the importance of Chhatrapati Shivaji and Chhatrapati Sambhaji.
The BJP's aim is to first finish Aurangzeb because once the "villain" is over, then it is easy to finish heroes like Chhatrapati Shivaji and Chhatrapati Sambhaji, it added.
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Bengal: On way to PM's rally, 3 mowed down by train amid dense fog
Kolkata (PTI): Three persons died and three others were injured after being hit by a train amid dense fog on Saturday, while travelling to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally at Taherpur in West Bengal's Nadia district, a senior official said.
The incident occurred between Taherpur and Badkulla railway stations under the Sealdah-Krishnanagar section of Eastern Railway, he said.
Modi, whose helicopter could not land at Taherpur due to dense fog and low visibility, condoled the death of the “BJP workers” in his virtual address from Kolkata airport.
“I have come to know that some BJP workers, while travelling to the rally, lost their lives in a rail accident. My condolences are with the families of those who have lost their loved ones, and I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Modi said.
The Eastern Railway official told PTI that the incident occurred in the morning when these people, who were travelling by a bus, had stopped the vehicle and walked to the railway tracks to answer nature's call.
"While three persons died on the spot, two others with injuries were admitted to a local hospital," he said.
Another person with minor injuries was released after having been administered first aid, the official said.
The deceased have been identified as Ramprasad Ghosh (74), Shaktipada Sutradhar (55) and Gopinath Das (38).
Meanwhile, Mahua Moitra, Trinamool Congress MP from Krishnanagar constituency in Nadia district, alleged that the BJP ignored the incident and went ahead with the rally.
"Terrible tragedy hushed up at altar of @narendramodi ego. @BJP4India supporters brought from far Murshidabad for PM rally in Ranaghat today," she said in a post on X.
"4 went to answer nature's call and were killed by 31814 down local train near Taherpur. BJP ignored, blacked out & went ahead with rally," Moitra claimed.
Reacting to her remarks, the West Bengal BJP, in a post on X, asserted that the TMC "has always been adept at milking tragedies", and was being "disrespectful to the unfortunate victims of this tragedy".
The TMC alleged that BJP leaders have not shown "neither concern nor compassion" over the mishap.
"The loss of three lives in Taherpur should have united everyone in grief. But @BJP4India leaders showed neither concern nor compassion," it said in another post on X.
"At this painful moment, Smt @MamataOfficial and Shri @abhishekaitc put humanity above party lines and stood beside the families of the deceased," the party said.
TMC’s on-ground leaders promptly reached out to the grieving family members, ensuring them of help and assistance, it said.
"While Delhi’s rulers chase Bengal with arrogance, our leadership chose empathy. This is the difference between politics of power and politics of people!" the TMC added.
