In the midst of the controversy over the glorification of historical figures such as Aurangzeb, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said that it is an "act of treason" to celebrate invaders.
The Chief Minister made the comments while addressing a function in Bahraich, where he asserted that no invader should be glorified.
He also claimed, "Glorying the invader is to consolidate the base of treason. Free India cannot welcome any traitor who defames our great leaders and glorifies those invaders. New India of today will not tolerate this. We are dedicated to taking our heritage forward with pride—our pride is linked to our heritage, and heritage is the key to development."
Adityanath also criticized any kind of eulogy for the people who belittled "Sanatan culture," and said, "Praising any invader is akin to digging deeper the roots of treason." His remarks were made amid rising unrest after demands were made to uproot the tomb of Aurangzeb, the Mughal emperor, with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) recently conducting protests at different government offices. The VHP protest was focused around charges leveled by Aurangzeb, who is accused of murdering the Sikh Guru Guru Gobind Singh's sons as well as ravaging temples at Kashi, Mathura, and Somnath.
For Nagpur, where there has been violence raging over the dispute, it's reported that so far 69 people have been arrested. Officials say normality has now returned, although curfew continues to be in operation in some sectors. Nagpur Collector Dr. Vipin Itankar stated that the situation had normalized but added that there was still a curfew imposed in some localities. The authorities are still evaluating the amount of damage done to civilian property and will be providing compensation to the affected persons. Initial reports indicate damage to about 50-60 two-wheelers, 10-15 four-wheelers, and some houses.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis termed the Nagpur violence as a well-planned conspiracy. He also promised that authorities would "dig the accused out of their graves," meaning those who were the brains behind the violence. The police have also arrested Fahim Khan, who is an activist and a politician and is reportedly the mastermind of the chaos.
Read also| 'Aurangzeb is not relevant today', says RSS leader Sunil Ambekar
