Friday, 25 April 2025
Friday, 25 April 2025
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis Tuesday said that the film "Chhaava" reignited people's emotions against Aurangzeb.
Speaking in the legislative assembly on the Nagpur violence, Fadnavis said the Vicky Kaushal-starrer "Chhaava", based on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, brought before the people the true history of the Maratha king. "After that (the movie), people's emotions have been reignited. The anger against Aurangzeb is being exhibited in a big way," he said.
The violent that erupted in Nagpur on the night of March 17 has led to the detention of over 50 individuals, with authorities reviewing CCTV footage and social media posts to identify further suspects.
The clashes followed rumours that a holy book had been burned during a protest by a right-wing group demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Maharashtra.
The violence has ignited a fierce political battle, with opposition parties blaming the BJP-led Maharashtra government for what they call a "collapse of law and order."
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Aditya Thackeray termed the incident a failure of state machinery in CM Devendra Fadnavis’s hometown, Nagpur.
"The law and order of the state has collapsed like never before," he posted on X.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi alleged that the ruling party has fuelled the unrest.
"The biggest provocation is coming from the government. This is a failure of intelligence," he stated to PTI, while condemning the violence.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut questioned how such an incident could take place in Nagpur, which houses the RSS headquarters.
"Who can have the courage to spread violence there? This is a new pattern to scare Hindus, make their own people attack them, and then incite riots," he said to ANI.
NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule appealed for restraint, saying, "Let us all work together to maintain the progressive identity of Maharashtra."
Congress leader Pawan Khera accused the BJP of attempting to exploit history for political gains. "Nagpur has not experienced riots in 300 years. Over the last several days, attempts were made to weaponise history and create divisions," he claimed.
The BJP said that the attack was premeditated and the mob had targeted specific houses.
“In Nagpur, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal held protests. Rumours were spread that things containing religious content were burnt...It looks like a well-planned attack. No one has permission to take law and order into their hands," Fadnavis said in the state Assembly.
Devendra Fadnavis is MLA from Nagpur South West.
Nagpur MP and Union minister Nitin Gadkari called for calm, assuring that action would be taken against those responsible. "The government is aware of the situation. I request everyone not to believe in rumours," he said.
Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule visited injured police personnel, confirming that 34 officers, including two Deputy Commissioners of Police, were hurt—one of them was attacked with an axe.
Union minister Ramdas Athawale linked the unrest to public outrage over the depiction of Chhatrapati Sambhaji’s killing in a recent movie. He said, "The demand to remove Aurangzeb’s tomb has been there for a long time. But protests must remain peaceful."
The city police, led by Commissioner Ravinder Kumar Singal, have imposed a curfew across 11 police station areas. “The situation is peaceful now, we have imposed a curfew under the area of around 11 police stations. The situation is under control,” he told ANI.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Collector Dilip Swami confirmed that law enforcement is closely monitoring social media to curb misinformation. "The police are on high alert in sensitive areas. We have requested people not to spread rumours," he said.
