Aurangzeb Irrelevant: RSS; 65 Held in Nagpur

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Sunil Ambekar on Wednesday denounced the recent violence in Nagpur and emphasised that 17th-century Mughal emperor Aurangzeb is no longer relevant even as the police arrested 65 people, including a 38-year-old man whom authorities described as the mastermind behind the violence.

- Arun Dev and Pradip Kumar Maitra

BENGALURU/NAGPUR: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Sunil Ambekar on Wednesday denounced the recent violence in Nagpur and emphasised that 17th-century Mughal emperor Aurangzeb is no longer relevant even as the police arrested 65 people, including a 38-year-old man whom authorities described as the mastermind behind the violence.

Ambekar's comment came two days after violence rocked Nagpur during protests over the razing of Aurangzeb's grave and injured close to 50 people. The clashes led to vandalism and arson on Monday evening — several vehicles were set ablaze and many incidents of stone-pelting were reported.

"Any type of violence is not good for the health of the society and I think police have taken cognisance of it and so they will get into the details," Ambekar said at a press conference in Bengaluru ahead of the RSS's three-day national meet, the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS).

Asked whether Aurangzeb's tomb should be relocated, he replied, "No, it's not relevant."