Harshvardhan Sapkal, the chief of Congress’ Maharashtra unit, courted controversy after comparing state chief minister Devendra Fadnavis with Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
“Aurangzeb was one of the cruellest of emperors…He used religion as a pretext for governance…Today, Devendra Fadnavis is equally cruel who always uses religion,” Sakpal said at a press conference.
The Congress unit chief made the remarks while responding to a question about Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) threatening to raze the tomb of Aurangzeb in Khuldabad in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
“…Some are now calling for Aurangzeb’s tomb to be destroyed. However, the tomb itself is a symbol of Shivaji Maharaj’s greatness. This is a conspiracy to erase the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” he said.
The BJP responded to Sapkal’s statement, saying that the remarks made by the Maharashtra Congress chief are “extremely childish”.
“The statement of Congress state president Harshvardhan Sapkal is extremely childish, irresponsible and tarnishes the political culture of Maharashtra,” state BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule said.
“By comparing Aurangzeb with Devendraji Fadnavis, Congress is insulting the identity of Maharashtra. Sapkal and Congress have reached a low level,” he added.
The controversy over Aurangzeb in Maharashtra began after the Mughal emperor was praised by Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi, drawing sharp reactions from the ruling BJP.
Azmi had referred to Aurangzeb as a “great administrator”. “Our GDP accounted for 24 per cent (of world GDP) and India was called a golden sparrow ,” Azmi claimed.
The remarks were made in the backdrop of the blockbuster Hindi film ‘Chhaava’, based on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, who was captured by Aurangzeb’s commander in 1689.
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and his father, legendary Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, are highly revered figures in Maharashtra.