NEW DELHI, India: Authorities in Nagpur city of India’s Maharashtra state imposed an indefinite curfew on Tuesday after violent clashes between Hindu and Muslim groups triggered by demands from Hindu nationalist organisations for the demolition of the tomb of 17th-century Mughal ruler Aurangzeb.
Several police personnel and civilians were injured, alongside damage to vehicles and property during the unrest which erupted on Monday.
According to Hindustan Times, the violence began after protests led by members of the Bajrang Dal and other Hindu nationalist groups escalated.
The demonstrators gathered near the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, demanding the removal of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb’s tomb, which is located in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, around 500 kilometres from Nagpur.
Tensions heightened after videos of the demonstration circulated on social media, with rumours that protesters had burned pages of the holy Quran.
These reports sparked outrage among the Muslim community, leading to large gatherings in several parts of the city, including Kotwali, Ganesh Peeth, and Chattanesi Park, The Observer Post reported.
Nagpur lawmaker Chandrashekhar Bawankule confirmed that at least 34 police personnel and five civilians sustained injuries in the clashes.
“Several houses and vehicles were damaged as a result of the violence,” he stated. Senior police official Ravinder Singal further informed that at least 50 people had been arrested so far in connection with the incident.
Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attributed the unrest to “rumours that things containing religious content were burnt,” in reference to allegations of desecration of the holy Quran.
He urged people to refrain from spreading unverified claims that could escalate communal tensions.
In recent years, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government, hostility towards Aurangzeb has intensified. Modi himself has previously referenced Aurangzeb in speeches, portraying him as an oppressor of Hindus.
The latest violence comes amid a broader pattern of rising anti-Muslim sentiment in India, as noted by human rights organisations.
According to Socialists, “The growing anti-Muslim sentiment in India has reduced Muslims to second-class citizens.”
The group further claimed that no Indian government, including previous Congress administrations, has fully recognised Muslims as equal citizens.
India has witnessed a series of disputes over historic mosques, with Hindu extremists arguing that many were built on the ruins of temples. Several cases concerning such claims remain pending in courts.
In 2023, Modi inaugurated a controversial temple in Ayodhya at the site of the Babri Masjid, a 16th-century mosque demolished by Hindu mobs in 1992.
The recent clashes in Nagpur also coincide with the release of the Bollywood film Chhaava, which portrays a Hindu warrior’s battles against Aurangzeb.
Critics have warned that the movie fuels communal tensions, exacerbating divisions between Hindu and Muslim communities.
In light of the ongoing unrest, international human rights organisations have urged the Indian government to take decisive action against rising Islamophobia and ensure the protection of religious minorities.
