NEW DELHI: Congress leader Pawan Khera has expressed concern over the violence that erupted in Nagpur on 17 March.
He linked the incident to the ruling BJPโs alleged attempts to create divisions using historical controversies. โThis evening in Nagpur, a riot broke out in the home area of the Chief Minister of Maharashtra,โ Khera said. โIn the history of Nagpur, in the history of 300 years, there has never been a Hindu-Muslim riot there.โ
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Nagpur experienced significant unrest following demands by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) for the removal of the tomb of 17th-century Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, located in the nearby city of Aurangabad.
Nagpur is the hometown of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Khera questioned why violence occurred despite BJP being in power at both the Centre and the state.
โToday, where the Bhartiya Janta Party is in the centre and also in the state, what is the reason for such a riot? For the past few days, the BJP and the people associated with it were turning Aurangzebโs grave into a topic,โ he said.
Reports of riots in Nagpur are deeply disturbing. Mahal is Chief Ministerโs own area. In its 300 years of dynamic existence, Nagpur has never experienced riots.
Over the last several days, attempts were being made to weaponise 300 year old history and use it now to createโฆ https://t.co/gqC5cAyz3Bโ Pawan Khera ๐ฎ๐ณ (@Pawankhera) March 17, 2025
Khera alleged that BJP leaders and their affiliated organizations had been stirring controversy over Aurangzebโs grave in recent days.
โAurangzebโs history is 300 years old. Today, we all have to think about who it suits to make it a source of controversy, who benefits from it,โ Khera said.
He claimed that the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad had called for protests on this very issue. Khera questioned the law enforcement arrangements made to ensure peace there.
โWhat was the arrangement that the law should not be broken, peace should not be destroyed? This question must be asked,โ he said.
The VHPโs protest included burning an effigy of Aurangzeb and his tomb, which escalated tensions in the region.
Appealing to the residents of Nagpur, Khera urged them to stay calm and united.
โWe appeal to the people of Nagpur to maintain peace and harmony. Do not become a victim of such politics that creates controversy,โ he advised.
โBecause you will not benefit from it. Those who benefit from it are the people who live in power. They will benefit, not you.โ
Khera praised Nagpurโs history of communal harmony and stressed the need to protect this legacy.
โNagpur has a 300-year golden history, a history of brotherhood. Keep that history intact,โ he said.
In his tweet, Khera wrote, โOver the last several days, attempts were being made to weaponise 300-year-old history and use it now to create divisions, distractions, and unrest. These clashes expose the real face of the ideology of the ruling regime โ both at the centre and in the state.โ
The situation intensified when rumors spread about the desecration of religious items during the demonstrations.
In response, members of the Muslim community organized marches near a police station, during which stones were reportedly thrown at law enforcement officers. The clashes resulted in injuries to at least 34 police personnel and five civilians.
Several vehicles were torched, and properties vandalized, leading authorities to impose an indefinite curfew in parts of Nagpur to restore order.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condemned the violence, describing it as a โwell-planned attack.โ He emphasized that such acts would not be tolerated and instructed the police to take strict measures against those responsible.
