Explainer: Nagpur Violence – Did a Bollywood Blockbuster Stoke Tension?

Tension erupted in central Nagpur on Monday (March 17, 2025) as violent clashes broke out. What started as a demonstration by right-wing Hindu groups demanding the removal of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb quickly escalated into chaos after unfounded allegations surfaced that a Quran had been desecrated. 

Stone pelting, arson, and street battles followed – leaving several homes and vehicles in ruins. According to the ANI news agency, over 50 people have been detained, and 33 policemen were injured.  

The incident in Nagpur led authorities to impose prohibitory orders to control the situation. As the dust settled, Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis claimed the violence was orchestrated. “Rumors were spread that religious items were burned... It looks like a well-planned attack,” Fadnavis stated.

How Did This Begin?

The trouble began on the morning of March 17, when members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal staged a protest demanding that Aurangzeb’s tomb be removed. Police intervened, but tensions spiraled when protesters began hurling stones at officers, injuring three.

Later that night, another wave of violence hit Nagpur’s Hansapuri area, where mobs torched vehicles, homes, and shops. The police responded with tear gas and detained around 60 to 65 rioters, according to reports from India Today. Additional security forces were deployed to prevent further unrest.

The root of the conflict? A wildfire of misinformation. Social media posts, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), circulated videos of protestors burning an effigy of the Mughal emperor, sparking outrage among the Muslim community.

The Aurangzeb Tomb

The demand for the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb isn’t a sudden or isolated event. The Mughal emperor – reigning from 1658 to 1707 remains a deeply polarizing figure in India’s historical and political discourse. Right-wing Hindu groups have long painted him as a tyrant, and in recent years, there has been a growing push to erase his legacy from Indian landmarks.

The tomb, located in Khuldabad, Aurangabad (now renamed Sambhajinagar), has become a symbol in this ideological battle. Political leaders across party lines have weighed in – BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP have all echoed calls for its removal. Udayanraje Bhosale, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji, has gone as far as suggesting that those who revere Aurangzeb’s memory should “take the tomb home with them.”

Did Bollywood Play a Role?

Interestingly, this controversy found an unexpected catalyst in a Bollywood film. The Bollywood blockbuster “Chhava”, starring Vicky Kaushal, ignited tensions when Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi challenged its depiction of Chhatrapati Sambhaji’s battles with Aurangzeb. Azmi’s claim that Aurangzeb was a “good administrator” and that the film distorted history enraged right-wing groups, adding fuel to an already simmering fire.

The collision of history, politics, and pop culture set the stage for the current turmoil. 

The Bigger Picture

Nagpur’s unrest is not just about a tomb. It’s a reflection of India’s increasingly fraught relationship with its past. In the battle over historical narratives, symbols like Aurangzeb’s tomb become political chess pieces, exploited to serve broader ideological goals.

The violence also highlights the dangerous power of misinformation – how rumor can ignite communal tensions and turn a city into a battleground. 

What happened in Nagpur is a stark reminder that in today’s India, history isn’t just something to be studied, it’s also something to be fought over.