Nationalist Muslims don’t endorse Aurangzeb, recognise only Shivaji as their leader: Maha Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis

Reacting to the ongoing controversy in Maharashtra over the 17th-century Mughal monarch, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said that nationalist Muslims in India do not recognise Aurangzeb as their leader. No Muslim in India is a descendant of Aurangzeb, Fadnavis added.  

The Dy CM also hit out at Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar for visiting Aurangzeb's tomb in Aurangabad district. He asked former CM Uddhav Thackeray whether he approved the act. Fadnavis was commenting on the alliance forged between Thackeray and Ambedkar earlier this year. 

Ambedkar visited Aurangzeb’s tomb on Saturday amidst protests and clashes that shook Maharashtra recently over social media posts which glorified Aurangzeb. 

"What happened in Akola, Sambhajinagar and Kolhapur was not a coincidence, but it is an experiment. How come so many sympathisers of Aurangzeb surface in the state?" Fadnavis questioned at a public rally. 

“How can Aurangzeb be our leader? Our king is only one and that is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj...The Muslims in India, even they are not descendants of Aurangzeb. Tell me who is the descendant of Aurangzeb? Aurangzeb and his forefathers came from outside," he said.

“The nationalist Muslims in this country do not endorse him and they recognise only Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as their leader," he added. 

Fadnavis hit out at the VBA leader saying, “Ambedkar says Aurangzeb ruled our country for a long period. So Hitler also ruled Germany. Many people used to revere Hitler like a God...It was not expected from you. Uddhav Thackeray has allied with Ambedkar. So do you (Thackeray) accept Ambedkar's act?” 

(Inputs from PTI)