Protests against plans to destroy Aurangzeb’s tomb got violent on Monday afternoon (March 17, 2025), with stone throwing and arson happening in Nagpur’s Ganeshpeth, Mahal, and Gandhibagh areas.
Police say things got worse when word spread in the area that Muslims were planning to burn their precious book during the protest. Videos of the Bajrang Dal protest went online, making people in both groups angry and causing a fight.
Police used lathi charges and tear gas to break up the groups, which hurt a number of people.
Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) held protests in Pune, Kolhapur, Nashik, Malegaon, Nagpur, and Ahilyanagar, among other places in the state, to call for the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb in Khuldabad, Chattrapati Sambhajinagar. In Maharashtra, there was a stir about Aurangzeb after Samajwadi Party MP Abu Azmi said nice things about the Mughal ruler.
To keep things under control, the police sent in more officers, such as Quick Response Teams (QRTs), crowd control police, and the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF).
As a safety step, security was tightened in some parts of the city. “We are there and are filing a FIR,” C.P. Ravinder Singhal told The Hindu.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said the event was “unfortunate” and asked people in Nagpur to stay cool. A fight broke out between two groups of young people in the Mahal area of Nagpur, which led to the dangerous situation. Nagpur is known for its peace and unity. There are no religious, caste, or racial fights or arguments in this city. Whatever happened today, the government will definitely do something about it. To keep the peace, everyone in Nagpur should work with the government and join with them.
Since there have been reports of stone throwing and tense situations in Nagpur’s Mahal area, the cops are working hard to keep things under control. Because of these events, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has asked people to fully work with the government.
He told people to stay in touch with the cops and the government and to give them their full support. “Nagpur is a peaceful city that is known for always sticking together, through good times and bad.” This is what Nagpur has always been known for. “At this time, don’t believe rumors and work with the government fully,” he said.
He stressed how important it was to keep the peace and told everyone not to spread or believe untrue information so that the problem could be fixed peacefully.
Harshvardhan Sapkal, the head of the Maharashtra Congress, said, “This is the city of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.” The fact that there was so much tension, stone-throwing, and arson in this city and the cops weren’t ready for it shows that the Home Department failed. In an effort to stir up trouble in society, ministers in the state cabinet have been saying hurtful things on purpose for the past few days.
