Around a dozen people have been injured and several vehicles damaged in violent clashes over the tomb of a 17th-century Mughal emperor in Nagpur in central , police said on Tuesday.
The clashes reportedly erupted during protests by a group who have been demanding the removal of the tomb of former Muslim ruler Aurangzeb — a loathed figure among Hindu nationalists.
According to local broadcaster NDTV, violence broke out after Hindu protesters from the right-wing, nationalist Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) group set fire to an image of Aurangzeb.
A police officer told the Reuters news agency that several members of Muslim groups, wearing masks and carrying sharp weapons and bottles, then threw stones at police
The situation then escalated with violent groups torching vehicles and vandalizing homes, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.
Nagpur violence: what have authorities said?
At least 50 people had been arrested so far, NDTV reported, while local authorities have imposed a curfew and banned gatherings of more than four people.
“I have told the police commissioner to take whatever strict steps are necessary,” said Devendra Fadnavis, chief minister of the state of Maharashtra, where Nagpur is located. He urged the public not to “believe any rumours” about the unrest.
Security has also been tightened around the tomb of Aurangzeb itself in Aurangabad, around 450 kilometers (280 miles) west of Nagpur.
An outspoken Hindu nationalist himself, chief minister Fadnavis expressed some sympathy with the campaign to remove the tomb, saying it was unfortunate that the government had to protect Aurangzeb’s grave “despite his history of persecution.”
The VHP denied accusations of violence but said it wants the tomb to be replaced with a memorial for rulers from the local Maratha community.
India: who are Vishva Hindu Parishad?
The VHP belongs to the same family of organizations as Prime Minister ‘s Bharatiya Janata Party, which has its ideological roots in the Nagpur area.
Since taking office in 2014, Modi’s government has been accused by rights groups and critics of discriminating against India’s 200-million-plus Muslim minority.
Hindu extremists have also targeted Muslim places of worship across the country, with fringe groups claiming they were built on top of destroyed Hindu holy sites.
Modi himself has made references to Aurangzeb in the past, accusing the Mugal ruler of trampling on the Hindu faith and persecuting its followers.
“Aurangzeb and his tyrants severed many heads,” he said in 2022.
Edited by: Alex Berry
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