BJP's Rule Worse Than Aurangzeb's, says Sanjay Raut
The Mughal ruler committed atrocities then, but, what is the government doing now?
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday criticised the BJP rule in Maharashtra. Comparing it unfavourably to Mughl ruler Aurangzeb's era, he said BJP rule is worse than that of Aurangzeb and claimed that farmers were dying because of the saffron party.
He claimed owing to unemployment and unfavourable condition to farmers, many are commiting suicide in the State.
Raut's remarks follow a debate about removing Aurangzeb's tomb, initiated by BJP's Udayanraje Bhosale. In a fierce critique, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday argued that the prevailing political leadership was failing its farmers, leading to a crisis of suicides, particularly among the agrarian community.
“It’s been 400 years since Aurangzeb was buried. Forget him. Are farmers in Maharashtra committing suicide due to Aurangzeb? They are doing it because of you," Raut said.
These comments came in response to ongoing discussions about erasing Mughal symbols, specifically Aurangzeb's tomb, as advocated by Bhosale. This debate stems from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's comments necessitating a lawful approach to any removals because of historical protections placed by the prior Congress government.
A couple of days ago, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s remarked that “everyone” feels Mughal ruler Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar should be removed. But it has to be done under legal purview as the previous Congress regime put the site under the Archaeological Survey of India's protection, Fadnavis had said.
The discussion around Aurangzeb is entrenched in his historical conflicts with Maratha rulers such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the atrocities faced by his son, Sambhaji. Raut's remarks intensified the dialogue on BJP's role in exacerbating Maharashtra's current socioeconomic challenges, including farmer unrest and unemployment.
Aurangzeb is remembered in Maharashtra for his battles with the Marathas, who resisted his expansionist ambitions. Shivaji Maharaj's son, Sambhaji, was captured, tortured, and executed on his orders.
"If the Mughal ruler committed atrocities then, what is the government doing now," he asked. (with inputs from PTI)
