NEW DELHI: An indefinite curfew on parts of the Indian city of Nagpur has been imposed after more than a dozen police officers were hurt in clashes sparked over the tomb of 17th-century Mughal ruler Aurangzeb.

The violence broke out on Monday following rumours of desecration during a demonstration seeking the removal of the Mughal emperor’s tomb.

Tuesday remained just as tense.

Ravinder Singal, the Nagpur police commissioner, imposed the restrictions on Monday night, which will remain in place until further notice, police said.

Maharashtra CM pins blame on ‘Muslims’, recent movie for violence

The curfew has been imposed in areas under the jurisdiction of Kotwali, Ganeshpet, Tehsil, Lakadganj, Pachpavli, Shantinagar, Sakkardara, Nandanvan, Imamwada, Yashodharanagar, and Kapilnagar police stations.

The order prohibits the movement of individuals outside their residences except for medical emergencies.

The order also prohibits a gathering of more than five people and bans the dissemination of rumours.

On Monday, four policemen were injured and several vehicles were torched as violence broke out at a protest by over 200 members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal near the Shivaji Maharaj statue in the city.

The protesters, who were demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb, allegedly burnt an effigy of the Mughal emperor, but the incident sparked rumours of a holy book being desecrated.

As the rumour spread on social media, a group of 80-100 people allegedly gathered unlawfully and pelted stones at the police, reports said.

The police fired tear gas shells and resorted to baton charge to disperse a mob in Chitnis Park and Mahal even as violence spread to Kotwali and Ganeshpeth, officials said.

Political jostling

On Tuesday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis linked the communal violence to a movie in which Aurangzeb was shown as an archvillain.

Mr Fadnavis, who threatened to plant the Indian flag in Pakistan as part of his recent election campaign, reportedly pointed the finger at Muslims for the violence on the assumption that they loved the Mughal ruler and were miffed by the movie, which has otherwise drawn applause from Hindu revivalist groups in the state and beyond.

The Congress raised the issue in parliament, calling it a weaponising of history.

Aurangzeb died in 1707 and lies buried in a simple grave in Khuldabad district of Aurangabad, once part of the Nizam’s estate.

Mr Fadnavis needs violence to keep the focus from the wranglings within his uneasy BJP-led coalition, which has implications for his caste.

As a Brahmin from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he is seen as having usurped power from a Maratha ally who was chief minister before him.

Eknath Shinde is said to be fuming over the loss of power of the numerically stronger Maratha caste to the Brahmin, who has the reported support of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS, the ideological mentor of Mr Fadnavis’ party BJP.

The hate for Aurangzeb is a glue for the jostling castes and the movie Chhaava has strengthened it.

Nevertheless, the ground remains slippery for Mr Fadnavis.

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, the BJP MP from Nagpur, is an older associate of RSS leadership.

Mr Gadkari is a rival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is widely seen as a candidate for the top job.

In recent public appearances, Mr Gadkari, also a Brahmin unlike Mr Modi, has appeared to be more amenable to keeping the communal harmony in balance, asserting that he doesn’t believe in religious or caste discrimination.

The Nagpur violence thus appears to be an outcome of the struggle within the BJP for the next move, should Mr Modi give up the job upon turning 75 in September.

There is considerable speculation whether he would abide by the party’s “unwritten rule” of demitting office at 75.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2025