Maharashtra minister calls for renaming town where Aurangzeb’s tomb is located

Maharashtra’s Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat on Sunday called for the name of Khuldabad, where Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb is located, to be changed to Ratnapur, ANI reported.

“We may need to introduce a resolution in the upcoming state Assembly session,” The Indian Express quoted Shirsat as saying. A letter had been sent to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the matter, he added.

Khuldabad town is located 24 km from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city, formerly known as Aurangabad.

The town houses Aurangzeb’s tomb, which has been the focus of a controversy in recent weeks following demands by Hindutva groups, including the Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal, to remove the structure as it symbolised “pain and slavery”.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal are part of a group of Hindutva organisations led by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the parent organisation of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

On March 17, violence broke out in Nagpur hours after Hindutva groups held a protest demanding the tomb’s removal.

“I am not making any new demand,” ANI quoted Shirsat, who is also the guardian minister of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, as saying on Sunday. “This is already in the history. When the British came here, the tax they levied was on the name of Ratanpur and Daulatabad was called Devgiri.”

He added that such changes in names had...

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