Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday strongly criticised efforts to stoke communal discord over the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and called for a rational approach to history, untainted by religious and caste-based biases.
Addressing his annual Gudhi Padwa rally at Shivaji Park, Thackeray admonished the reliance on WhatsApp forwards for historical understanding and urged people to consult authentic historical sources.
“The Mughal ruler wanted to kill a thought called Shivaji but failed and died in Maharashtra,” he asserted, highlighting the futility of attempts to erase the Maratha legacy.
His remarks come amid demands from right-wing groups seeking the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. The issue has led
to protests, with violence reported in Nagpur earlier this month.
History, not mythology, must guide understanding: Thackeray
Thackeray underscored that history must be studied in its proper context and urged people to reject politically motivated distortions.
“Don’t we want to let the world know that these people sought to destroy the Marathas but were wiped out instead? Stop reading history on WhatsApp and rather delve into history books,” he remarked.
Drawing from historical examples, he noted that Afzal Khan, the general of Bijapur, was buried near Pratapgadh Fort—a move that could not have taken place without Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s permission.
The MNS chief also criticised the modern tendency to derive historical knowledge from films.
“Hindus who feel awakened after a movie are of no use. Did you learn about Sambhaji Maharaj’s sacrifice because of Vicky Kaushal and about Aurangzeb because of Akshaye Khanna?” he questioned, referencing the recent period drama Chhaava, which portrays the life and execution of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj by Aurangzeb.
Criticism of communal politics and governance
Thackeray decried the use of religion as a political tool, warning that such a path could be detrimental to national progress.
“A country cannot progress on the basis of religion,” he said, citing Turkey as an example of a nation that reformed itself beyond religious identity.
He lamented that Hindus often remain divided by caste except when facing communal confrontations.
Also read: Hate or obsession: Why Aurangzeb remains alive in India?
“A Hindu identifies as a Hindu only when Muslims take to the streets or during riots; otherwise, Hindus are divided by caste,” he remarked.
The MNS chief also took aim at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in Maharashtra, predicting the discontinuation of the ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin’ scheme, which offers financial assistance to women.
“I told you earlier, but you believed them and not me,” he said, in a veiled attack on the ruling coalition of the BJP, Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Opposition parties have accused the government of failing to fulfil its election promise of raising the monthly financial aid under the scheme from ₹1,500 to ₹2,100.
Call for marathi primacy and environmental awareness
Reiterating his party’s stance on the Marathi language, Thackeray stressed that its use must be mandatory in official communications.
“If you live here and don’t speak the language, you will be dealt with appropriately,” he warned.
Additionally, he voiced concern over environmental degradation, particularly river pollution, and showed a purported video of bodies being dumped into the Ganga.
“What kind of religion is this if we destroy our natural resources? ₹33,000 crore has been spent on cleaning the Ganga and it is still going on. Shouldn’t we reform ourselves?” he questioned.
He lamented that Maharashtra’s rivers were in a dire state, citing official data that ranked 55 of its river stretches among the country’s most polluted.
“Mumbai had five rivers, and four of them have been killed. The lone ‘surviving’ river, Mithi, is about to die,” he warned, attributing the crisis to encroachments, sewage disposal, and industrial waste.
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