It is unfortunate that violence has erupted in Nagpur and even more regrettable that it stems from a controversy over a ruler who lived more than three centuries ago. The debate over Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was wholly unwarranted, sparked unnecessarily by a Samajwadi Party MLA, who claimed that he was a great ruler. This statement, whether made out of conviction or for political mileage, provided just the kind of spark some groups needed to ignite a controversy. The reaction was swift and extreme. Demands were made for his dismissal from the Assembly, and eventually, he was suspended for the remainder of the session. However, this did not put the matter to rest. Soon, calls emerged for Aurangzeb’s tomb to be erased from public memory. The demand gained momentum when Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis lent his support to it.

In the heat of the moment, one crucial fact was ignored: Aurangzeb’s tomb is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Both the central and state governments have a legal duty to preserve it. If the Maharashtra government was serious about removing the tomb, it should have followed due process by seeking its delisting from ASI’s list of protected sites. However, doing so would have invited widespread criticism, and rightly so. The idea of removing a centuries-old tomb is absurd and would have made Maharashtra a subject of ridicule. Regardless of the emotions he evokes, Aurangzeb remains a........

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