The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi and MLAs of the ruling Mahayuti in Maharashtra have blamed each other for a communal flare-up in Nagpur on Monday night after a demonstration by Hindutva groups demanding the demolition of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb.

The state has been on the boil after the release of the film Chhaava last month. The film is based on a novel on Maratha ruler Sambhaji who was executed during Aurangzeb’s rule in 1689. Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi had earlier been suspended from the Assembly and booked for praising Aurangzeb and criticising the film for “selectively portraying the Mughal emperor as a religious bigot”. Chhatrapati Sambhaji is widely revered in Maharashtra.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal led demonstrations across the state on Monday demanding the demolition of Aurangzeb’s tomb — a centrally protected monument — at Khuldabad in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, earlier called Aurangabad. Several BJP leaders have joined the chorus.

On Monday night, a riot broke out in Nagpur over rumours of an act of sacrilege during an anti-Aurangzeb protest.

Nagpur police commissioner Ravinder Singal said: “A photograph was burnt and images were uploaded on social media. A delegation visited us and they wanted us to take action. An FIR was registered, we were taking action. But in the evening, the two groups came in front of each other, sloganeering happened, stones were hurled. The police were there, there was action. Five cases have been registered and more than
50 people arrested.”

Around 34 policemen, including three DCPs, have reportedly been injured in the riot. Several vehicles were set ablaze. Parts of Nagpur city have been put under curfew.

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) parliamentarian Sanjay Raut told reporters in Mumbai: “It (Nagpur) is where the RSS is headquartered. It is also Devendraji’s (chief minister Devendra Fadnavis) constituency. Who will have the courage to spread violence there?... This is a new pattern to scare Hindus, make their own people attack them and then incite andinvolve them in riots. The things which are happening with regard to Aurangzeb, itis for planting fear in the minds of people. They are trying to finish Maharashtra and the country.”

He added: “Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj were never and are not symbols of bravery and victory for the BJP. Therefore, if you eliminate the villain (Aurangzeb’s tomb) first, you can automatically eliminate the hero.”

Fadnavis told the Assembly: “After that (Chhaava), people’s emotions have been reignited. The anger against Aurangzeb is being exhibited in a big way.”

He added: “It (the Nagpur flare-up) appears to be premeditated…. There appears to be a pre-planned pattern in the actions of some people.”

The leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Ambadas Danve of the Shiv Sena (UBT), alleged that the Maharashtra government and Fadnavis were behind the Nagpur violence. “This government has been trying for the past one month to stoke Hindu-Muslim violence in the state. Such violence woulddisrupt the daily life of Hindus as well as Muslims, but (the government) wants to reap political benefits out of it,” Danve said.

Within the Mahayuti, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who leads his faction of the NCP, criticised BJP minister Nitesh Rane for repeatedly calling for the tomb tobe razed.

BJP MLA Ram Kadam told PTI: “People associated with Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar and Congress workers were seen throwing stones during the Nagpur violence. What were they doing there? We obviously won’t resort to violence as we are in power. They will orchestrate riots to blame the government.”

Several Opposition parliamentarians condemned the violence on the sidelines of the budget session. AAP parliamentary party leader Sanjay Singh said: “The BJP had been trying to spread hatred in Nagpur and the whole of Maharashtra for a long time. As long as the BJP is there, there cannot be peace in India. Ahead of Holi, they tried to disrupt peace in Uttar Pradesh, what is the reason behind it? It is so that people can’t talk about the crashing share market. Economic disparity is at its highest in 100 years, there is unemployment.”

Trinamool’s Sagarika Ghose said: “At a time when the focus should be on employment, farmer suicide, rising prices, what is the BJP doing? It is creating yet another weapon of mass distraction.”

RJD’s Manoj Jha pointed out: “The entire nation is busy digging its own grave. Who is making it do so? I can recall that in 2014 the Prime Minister had in his speech at the Red Fort said that there should be a moratorium on such controversies. Is this a moratorium? You have given a free handto your own people to sayanything. There is no discussion on the challenges being faced today.”

The Mahayuti, however, continued to back Chhaava.

Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde told reporters: “The protesters (who want to raze the tomb) are protesting for the pride of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.... Those who support Aurangzeb should read history andwatch the movie Chhaava.... I believe that even the true patriotic Muslims will not support Aurangzeb.”

Historian Rana Safvi called for an end to hate. “Aurangzeb got buried in a simple kacchi qabr as per his will. His bones must have long interred in the soil. The marble additions were made much later by the Nizam of Hyderabad. It will not affect Aurangzeb whether you remove the marble railings or not. It’s too late to remove him but it’s not too late for sense to prevail and stop burning the country over hate, imagined or real for someone who died 300 years ago,” she posted on X.