Mumbai: Authorities imposed an indefinite curfew in parts of Nagpur after violent clashes erupted over demands to remove the tomb of 17th-century Mughal ruler Aurangzeb. The violence left more than a dozen police officers injured and led to extensive property damage, police said on Tuesday.
The unrest began on Monday when members of the Hindu nationalist group Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) burned an effigy of Aurangzeb near his tomb in Aurangabad while chanting slogans demanding its removal. Police said the situation escalated when several members of Muslim groups marched near a police station, throwing stones at officers.
A police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said at least 15 police personnel were injured in the clashes, with one in serious condition. Vehicles were set on fire, and masked attackers carried sharp weapons and bottles, according to a local resident quoted by ANI news agency.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condemned the violence in a video message and directed authorities to take strict action to restore order. “I have told the police commissioner to take whatever strict steps are necessary,” he said.
The VHP denied involvement in the violence, with its general secretary, Milind Parande, stating in a video message that the group only seeks to replace Aurangzeb’s tomb with a memorial for local Maratha rulers.
Nagpur, the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, has witnessed tensions in the past. The VHP is affiliated with the RSS.
Critics of Modi’s government have accused him of discrimination against Muslims and inaction against groups targeting them. Modi and his government have denied these accusations.
The police continue to monitor the situation as curfew restrictions remain in place to prevent further violence.
