Controversy erupts over Akbaruddin Owaisi’s visit to Aurangzeb’s tomb

Mumbai: In what may kick up a fresh storm, Akbaruddin Owaisi, the controversial leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) paid his respects at the tomb of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb at Khuldabad near Aurangabad on Thursday

Mumbai: In what may kick up a fresh storm, Akbaruddin Owaisi, the controversial leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) paid his respects at the tomb of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb at Khuldabad near Aurangabad on Thursday.

Hyderabad, Mar 02 (ANI): All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Akbaruddin Owaisi addresses at the celebration of 64th party's foundation day, at Darussalam (party headquarters), in Hyderabad on Wednesday. (ANI Photo) (Mohammed Aleemuddin)

Both the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have cried foul at his visit to the tomb.

Owaisi, who is a member of the Telangana legislative assembly from Chandrayangutta in Hyderabad, visited the tomb with Imtiaz Jaleel, who is the AIMIM MP from Aurangabad and former MLA Waris Pathan.

“There are many dargahs of spiritual leaders at Khuldabad… anyone coming to Khuldabad comes to the mazaar (resting place) of Aurangzeb. There is no need to interpret this differently,” Jaleel said later.

Speaking at a public meeting in Aurangabad later, Owaisi said that even today, the world remembered Mughal emperors like Akbar and Babur. He added that reports of commissions and committees appointed by governments like those under Rajendra Sachar, Amitabh Kundu, and Mehmood-ur-Rehman had pointed to the backwardness of Muslims.

Shiv Sena leader and former Lok Sabha MP Chandrakant Khaire said that AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi’s visit to Aurangzeb’s tomb was a move to ignite communal tensions in the state. “Nobody visits the burial site of Aurangzeb now, not even Muslims. But he purposely went there as he wanted to create tensions between Hindus and Muslims. We will not allow this,” Khaire said.

Khaire, who was defeated by AIMIM’s Jaleel in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, said Aurangzeb was a “cruel man”, and such acts would disrupt the atmosphere in the sensitive city in Marathwada. “AIMIM’s actions are like Aurangzeb, and therefore I wish to tell the people of Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) and Marathwada that the Hyderabad bases party wants to spread its base here to create a rift between the communities. Such tactics are happening to polarise voters. But the matured Muslim community knows how they are dividing people,” Khaire said.

MNS spokesperson Avinash Abhyankar said, “This only shows the ideology they subscribe to.”