At least one person was killed and over 30 were injured in violent communal clashes that erupted in Nagpur in India’s Maharashtra State following protests calling for the closure of the tomb of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb on 17 March.
The protests were organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), which is the religious arm of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and took place in various government offices, with over 100 VHP members participating. The VHP claimed that Emperor Aurangzeb discriminated against Hindus and destroyed Hindu places of worship during his reign from 1658 to 1707. They proceeded to publicly burn an effigy of the ruler covered in a chadar (a cloth or shawl used by Muslim women). Videos of the protest were subsequently circulated widely on social media, with rumours spreading that the cloth that was burned contained religious text.
At around 5pm on the same day, several Muslim young adults gathered to counter-protest the VHP-organised demonstrations. Within hours, thousands of people gathered on the streets in the Mahal area of Nagpur, with several protestors throwing stones at police. At around 7.30pm several vehicles and houses in the area were set on fire, with the police using tear gas to bring the situation under control.
A indefinite curfew was imposed on 18 March, restricting movement of vehicles, along with a communication ban in affected areas to stop the spread of rumours. Around 65 rioters have been arrested so far. The Maharashtra Cyber Department has also identified more than 140 videos and posts containing content aimed at inciting violence and notices were sent to take down such content. Authorities noted that some posts were traced to an account based in Bangladesh.
On 22 March, Irfan Ansari, who was injured during the violence, passed away at the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital.
Speaking in the Maharashtra assembly, the state’s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that a recent Bollywood film Chhaava, which is based on the life of Sambhaji Maharaj, the second ruler of the Maratha Empire, and depicts Emperor Aurangzeb as a villain, had reignited hostility towards the emperor.
CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘CSW extends our sincerest condolences to the family and loved ones of Irfan Ansari, and wish all others who were injured during this recent bout of communal violence a swift and full recovery. Such incidents have become far too common in India over the past decade, and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party must be held to account for the significant part it has played in fostering such division in the country through its consistent promotion of a dangerous Hindu nationalist agenda and the authorities’ routine failure to bring those responsible for communal violence to justice.’