Seeing the demands for the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s grave by right-wing activists grow, authorities have stepped up security at the site in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, making ID verification mandatory for all visitors, officials said on Monday. The move comes amid protests by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), which staged demonstrations across multiple government offices, demanding the grave's demolition. In its memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the VHP called the grave a "symbol of pain and slavery", citing Aurangzeb’s persecution of Marathas and Sikhs, and destruction of temples in Kashi, Mathura, and Somnath.
“Aurangzeb ordered the execution of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and two sons of Guru Gobind Singh. No memorial of such a ruler should be allowed to exist,” the VHP stated, warning that if the government failed to act, it would march to the grave site and remove it themselves.
Heavy security deployed
Aurangzeb, who died in 1707, is buried in Khuldabad, where he spent his final years. The site, a historical monument, has now come under heavy security cover. Officials said multiple checkpoints have been set up from the town’s entry point to the grave. A company of 50 State Reserve Police Force personnel, 30 local police officers, and 20 Home Guards have been deployed. Visitors are now required to register their names and furnish identity documents before entering the site.
Parvez Kabeer Ahmed, the caretaker of the grave, said the situation remained peaceful. “The footfall has dropped recently, but it’s also the month of Ramzan. People should not fall for rumours,” he said. Similar protests were held by the VHP in Nagpur, Mumbai suburbs, and other parts of Maharashtra.
(With agency inputs)