Authorities imposed an indefinite curfew in parts of Nagpur, India, after violent clashes erupted over a Hindu group’s demand to remove the tomb of a 17th-century Mughal ruler. The unrest left over a dozen police officers injured, with at least one in critical condition, police reported on Tuesday.
The violence, which broke out on Monday in Maharashtra’s central city, resulted in significant property damage and injuries to civilians and law enforcement. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condemned the turmoil in a video message, stressing the importance of maintaining law and order. He directed the police commissioner to take strict action to restore peace.
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According to a police statement, members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) burned an effigy of Emperor Aurangzeb along with his tomb while chanting slogans demanding its removal from Aurangabad. The situation worsened when members of Muslim groups reportedly marched toward a police station and began throwing stones at officers.
Eyewitnesses told ANI news agency that masked attackers carried weapons and bottles, escalating the violence. The VHP, however, denied any involvement in violent activities, stating that their demand was to replace the tomb with a memorial for Maratha rulers, as explained by their general secretary, Milind Parande, in a video message.
Nagpur, known as the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological backbone of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has seen rising communal tensions. The VHP is affiliated with the RSS and BJP.
Critics of Modi have frequently accused him of discrimination against Muslims and not taking decisive action against those targeting them. However, Modi and his government have repeatedly denied these allegations.
