‘Nationalist Muslims not Aurangzeb’s descendants, they don’t endorse him’: Fadnavis

Deputy CM's remarks came a day after Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) president Prakash Ambedkar visited the Aurangzeb memorial at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar.

Earlier, Fadnavis was in the news cycle for railing against citizens he calls “Aurangzeb ki aulad”, after some youths displayed photos of 17th-century Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in a procession in Ahmednagar.

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Days after his “Aurangzeb ki auladein” (heirs of Aurangzeb) remark stirred a row, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Sunday evoked the Mughal emperor once again, saying that “‘nationalist Muslims in this country don’t endorse Aurangzeb.”

“Our king is only Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. We cannot have another king. Muslims in India are not descendants of Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb and his clan came from outside. Nationalist Muslims in the country don’t endorse Aurangzeb. They respect only Chhatrapati Shivaji Mahara,” Fadnavis said while addressing a public rally in Maharashtra’s Akola.

The deputy CM’s remarks came a day after Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) president Prakash Ambedkar visited the Aurangzeb memorial at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. “Instead of abusing Aurangzeb we should reflect on why he ruled here. What were the reasons… We should be mindful of our past. And instead of spreading hatred let us reconcile to facts and look at it as historical past,” Ambedkar had told reporters.

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Last week, Fadnavis stated that riot-like situations had developed Maharashtra because people of a particular community are glorifying Aurangzeb and said that Aurangzeb’s “auladein” (progenies) have taken birth in the state. Earlier this month, the Kolhapur district saw violence after various right-wing organisations gathered to protest against social media posts showing an image of 18th-century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan and Mughal ruler Aurangazeb.

In the past two weeks, FIRs have been registered against several minors across the state, including a 14-year-old boy from Beed, for uploading photographs and videos of Aurangzeb.

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