Grave Crisis

The violence in Nagpur over Aurangzeb’s tomb is an alarming sign of Maharashtra’s deteriorating law and order. A protest by right-wing groups seeking the removal of the Mughal emperor’s tomb descended into chaos, triggering communal riots that left dozens of police officers injured, vehicles torched and entire neighbourhoods in fear. That a mere rumour of desecration of a holy book could inflame passions to such an extent raises grave concerns about the state’s ability to contain mob violence. CM Devendra Fadnavis must take decisive action to restore public order before Maharashtra slides into anarchy.

A demonstration by Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal activists in the Mahal area involved burning an effigy of Aurangzeb. Within hours, social media was flooded with unverified claims of a holy book’s desecration, sending thousands onto the streets in a frenzy. By nightfall, Nagpur was ablaze with arson and vandalism. The speed with which events escalated underscores the state’s failure to anticipate and neutralize such threats.

Police forces, caught napping, struggled to contain the violence, relying on lathi charges and tear gas to disperse rioters. Given that the Shiv Jayanti celebrations and the tomb protest occurred on the same day, authorities should have anticipated the potential for unrest. BJP leaders have claimed the violence was premeditated.

In recent months, Maharashtra has witnessed a disturbing pattern of lawless incidents, from the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh to casteist violence in Beed to the rape of a woman in a bus stationed at Pune.

The government’s inability to curb misinformation and hold provocateurs accountable has emboldened extremists on both sides. The Maharashtra Police’s cyber wing is now investigating over 100 social media accounts suspected of spreading incendiary content, but damage control after the fact is hardly a substitute for pre-emptive governance.

The reaction from political leaders has been underwhelming. CM Fadnavis said the Mahayuti is committed to protecting Aurangzeb’s tomb as it is an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-designated site, but has insisted that its ‘glorification’ will not be tolerated.

Few symbols are as potent in Maharashtra’s politics as Aurangzeb’s legacy. The Mughal emperor who murdered Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj is a historical villain in the state’s nationalist imagination. But the Mughal’s tomb has been here for more than centuries. So, it is not history that is driving violence today rather the state government’s inability to maintain order. Allowing the state’s governance to be dictated by street-level provocateurs, be they from right-wing Hindu groups or radical Islamist factions, sets a dangerous precedent. Political leaders must rise above identity-based posturing and focus on restoring order.

The buck stops with CM Fadnavis. The government must abandon the performative rhetoric and get their act together. That means deploying a more robust intelligence apparatus, cracking down on those who incite violence regardless of their ideological leanings and ensuring that the rule of law prevails over mob justice. The state cannot afford to let Nagpur’s flames spread any further.