Following MNS threat, Maharashtra raises security around Afzal Khan’s grave
25 May, 2022 | Riya Girdhar
The squabble began when AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi paid tributes at the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Khuldabad.
Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel have reportedly been deployed around Afzal Khan’s grave in Maharashtra’s Satara district, amid the ongoing political controversy over Aurangzeb’s tomb in Aurangabad and the Gyanvapi mosque case hearing in the Varanasi court.
Superintendent of Police in Satara According to Ajay Kumar Bansal, Afzal Khan’s tomb has been a restricted area since 2005. It is subject to the restrictions of CrPC section 144. An additional police force has been sent to the scene.
“The deployment of additional police officers to the scene was part of a routine procedure in which the force visits all sensitive locations in the district to assess security arrangements. This time, forces conducted an assessment in Mahabaleshwar, where they visited Pratapgarh and Afzal Khan’s tomb “Kumar was quoted as saying by the sources.
What is the controversy surrounding Afzal Khan’s grave?
Afzal Khan’s tomb is located near Mahabaleshwar in the Pratapgad foothills.
The squabble began when AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi paid tributes at the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Khuldabad.
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which has been calling for a ban on loudspeakers in mosques, condemned the move and urged the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to take action against Owaisi while also threatening to take ‘action’ on its own.
At a rally on Sunday, MNS chief Raj Thackeray stated, “Our ChhatrapatiShivaji Maharaj assassinated Afzal Khan. His tomb is there, and the people of a specific community are laying flower garlands on his grave. The Maharashtra government is keeping a low profile on this issue. If the state government does not demolish this grave, MNS party members will do so shortly.”
The MNS chief also urged the Centre to rename Aurangabad Sambhaji Nagar and to implement the Uniform Civil Code.
Thackeray also escalated his attack on the NCP chief, saying, “What can I say if Sharad Pawar believes Aurangzeb is a Sufi saint? Afzal Khan, it appears, did not come to kill Shivaji Maharaj. He had only come to increase the size of his kingdom. Then, did Shivaji Maharaj step in? Why are you rewriting history for your own benefit?”