As tensions continue to grip Nagpur following violent clashes, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday, March 18, blamed Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna starrer Bollywood film Chhaava for reigniting the controversy around Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The film, based on the life of Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji, depicts his capture and execution by Aurangzeb’s forces.
Speaking in the Assembly, CM Fadnavis said that the movie had intensified public anger against Aurangzeb.
“Chhaava movie has ignited people’s anger against Aurangzeb. Still, everyone must keep Maharashtra peaceful,” Fadnavis was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
However, Fadnavis himself had previously made statements suggesting that Aurangzeb’s tomb should be demolished. “We all believe the same, but something needs to be done legally as it is a protected monument. The previous Congress government had placed it under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI),” he had remarked.
A day earlier, violence erupted in Nagpur over the protests against the demolition of Aurangzeb’s tomb. The unrest resulted in several vehicles being torched and many individuals sustaining injuries. At least 15 police personnel were injured in stone pelting, with one officer reported to be in critical condition.
Since Chhaava’s release on February 14, the depiction of Sambhaji Maharaj’s execution has intensified political discourse in Maharashtra. The controversy further escalated after Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Abu Asim Azmi criticised the film’s portrayal of Aurangzeb as a ruthless ruler. “The kings back then struggled for power and property, but it had nothing to do with religion. [Aurangzeb] ruled for 52 years, and if he were converting Hindus into Muslims, imagine the number of Hindus that would have been converted,” Azmi argued.
Azmi’s comments sparked backlash, leading to his suspension from the state Assembly for the remainder of the ongoing budget session.
Meanwhile, on March 18, the Maharashtra police increased security measures around Aurangzeb’s tomb in Khuldabad, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, to prevent desecration of the tomb. The security follows threats by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to do “karseva” of the tomb.