Nagpur erupts in violence amid demands to remove Aurangzeb’s tomb

Nagpur’s Mahal area witnessed large-scale violence on Monday, March 17 evening as tensions flared over demands to remove Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb from Khuldabad, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. The unrest, which coincided with Shiv Jayanti celebrations, led to incidents of arson, vandalism, and stone-pelting, injuring at least 25 police and fire brigade personnel, including an IPS officer.

The violence erupted near the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters, triggering panic among residents. Eyewitnesses reported that miscreants set vehicles on fire and damaged property, with videos of the rampage circulating widely on social media. In response, police resorted to lathi-charge and fired tear gas shells to disperse the mobs in Chitnis Park, Mahal, and other areas of central Nagpur.

The clashes followed a demonstration by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal members near the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Mahal at around 8:30 PM. Protesters burned an effigy of Aurangzeb while demanding the removal of his tomb. Later, tensions escalated when rumors spread that Hindu activists had allegedly burned a cloth inscribed with the Islamic prayer “kalma” and a holy book, leading to mass gatherings of Muslim community members in Mahal, Kotwali, Ganeshpeth, and Chitnis Park.

Nagpur Police Commissioner Ravinder Singal confirmed that Section 144 had been imposed to curb further violence. By late evening, authorities had arrested 30 individuals for rioting. "A cloth was burned, which led to people gathering and raising slogans. Immediate action was taken, and an FIR has been registered based on complaints from the Muslim community. Though some vehicles were torched and stones pelted, the situation is now under control," Singal stated. He also urged citizens to refrain from spreading rumors or taking the law into their hands, adding that police are conducting combing operations to identify further suspects.