Renowned lyricist and writer Manoj Muntashir Shukla sparked a fresh controversy with his remarks on Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s grave, calling it a ‘monument of national shame’ and questioning why any Indian should take pride in it.
Muntashir, known for his strong nationalist stance, made a bold statement suggesting that rather than demolishing the grave, a toilet should be built over it as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
For those unversed, the demand for the tomb’s removal gained traction after Bharatiya Janata Party’s Satara MP Udayanraje Bhosale, also a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, sought its removal, citing Aurangzeb’s oppressive rule against Hindus and Marathas.
During an interaction with ANI on Tuesday (March 11), Muntashir stated, “Aurangzeb’s grave is a monument of national shame. Which is there in that place that any Indian should be proud of?… If Aurangzeb’s grave is a place for one to be proud of, then they need to think again about their patriotism.”
He also drew a parallel to the Ram Temple dispute, stating that those who earlier suggested building a hospital or school at the temple site should apply the same logic to Aurangzeb’s tomb.
“When we were fighting a legal battle for the Ram Temple, they had given us advice that the Ram is present in every particle, so a hospital or a school should be built there instead… I want to repeat what they said… There is no need to destroy Aurangzeb’s grave. Instead, a toilet should be built on it. Swachh Bharat Mission is going on… What can be a better place than Aurangzeb’s grave to build more toilets in the country?” Muntashir asked.
Take a look at his video here:
Muntashir’s comments come in the wake of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ recent remarks that many believe Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar should be removed, but legal procedures must be followed as the site is protected under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The tomb is part of a necropolis with many historical tombs.
Meanwhile, organisations like the Hindu Janjagruti Samiti (HJS) have been actively advocating for the demolition of Aurangzeb’s tomb. Sunil Ghanwat, a representative of HJS, has accused the government of discriminatory treatment, alleging that monuments linked to Maratha history do not receive the same level of maintenance and preservation as other historical sites.
On the other hand, archeologists have reportedly stated that the government will have to delist the tomb if it has to be destroyed.
Muntashir slams Abu Azmi for praising Aurangzeb
A few days back, Muntashir strongly criticised Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Abu Azmi for praising Aurangzeb. He also called the politician ‘deshdrohi’ and asked everyone to boycott him.
Taking to his official X (formerly known as Twitter) account, Muntashir wrote in Hindi, “The Hindus of India were not troubled by Muslims but by traitors who consider Aurangzeb as their father, are and will always be troubled by it.”
He added, “I appeal to all my Muslim brothers and sisters to boycott such scoundrels. Because of them, questions are raised on nationalist Muslims.”
What is the controversy?
Abu Azmi has been suspended from the Maharashtra Assembly for the remainder of the ongoing Budget Session following his controversial remarks about Mughal ruler Aurangzeb.
The suspension came despite Azmi withdrawing his statement, and he later released a video message to clarify his stance.
