Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 11 (ANI): Amid the ongoing political row over whether the grave of Aurangzeb should be razed, lyricist and screenwriter Manoj Muntashir has said that there was no need to destroy the Mughal emperor's grave and that the government should build toilets on it.

Manoj Muntashir spoke to ANI and shared that Aurangzeb's grave is not a place to be proud of but a source of national shame. Earlier, Samajwadi Party's Maharashtra President Abu Azmi had reportedly termed Aurangzeb a good administrator which triggered a political outrage.

'If Aurangzeb's grave is a place for one to be proud of, then they need to think again about their patriotism...' the 'Adipurush' lyricist said.

The lyricist said, 'Aurangzeb's grave is a monument of national shame. Which is there in that place that any Indian should be proud of?... If Aurangzeb's grave is a place for one to be proud of, then they need to think again about their patriotism.... '

He added, 'When we were fighting a legal battle for the Ram Temple, they had given us advice that Ram is present in every particle, so a hospital or a school should be built there instead... I want to repeat what they said... There is no need to destroy Aurangzeb's grave. Instead, a toilet should be built on it. Swachh Bharat Mission is going on... What can be a better place than Aurangzeb's grave to build toilets in the country?...'

He also took to X to share a video and captioned it, 'Aurangzeb's grave should not be removed, why? Let me tell you!'

https://x.com/manojmuntashir/status/1899104459457962420

Earlier on Wednesday, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar suspended Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi for the entire duration of the ongoing budget session over his remarks on Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

Azmi had reportedly said that Aurangzeb was not a 'cruel administrator' and 'built many temples'. He added that the battle between the Mughal emperor and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was for state administration and not about Hindus and Muslims.

Maharashtra Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Abu Asim Azmi on Friday accused the media of 'maligning' him by 'misrepresenting' his statement on Aurangzeb, requesting Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar to revoke his suspension. In a letter addressed to Narwekar, Azmi maintained that he was not at fault in this matter.

'The media tried to malign me by misrepresenting my statement, so I humbly request that my suspension be withdrawn as I am not at fault in this matter,' he said.

The Maharashtra SP chief clarified that he was followed by mediapersons, who asked him for his reaction to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma invoking Aurangzeb while criticising Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

'On March 3, media representatives followed me while leaving the hall. Outside the hall, they asked me the question that the Chief Minister of Assam compared Rahul Gandhi to Aurangzeb. In this context, I quoted Meena Bhargava's article and said he helped the temples,' Azmi said.

'No statement has been made about Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. I showed respect for them. My image has been tarnished by attributing to me words which I didn't speak,' the letter read.

He highlighted that his statements about Aurangzeb were based on 'historical facts' and that India was a golden sparrow during that time. He said that Aurangzeb and Chhatrapati Shivaji were not fighting for religion, but for power and land.

'During the time of Aurangzeb, India's borders reached Brahmadesh and Afghanistan and people had a lot of gold in their homes and there was a golden age in India. I have said that Aurangzeb was a good administrator while quoting the above historical facts. Aurangzeb and Chhatrapati Shivaji or Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj were not fighting for religion but for power and land. I do not believe in caste and religion discrimination,' Azmi said.

'I have not made any objectionable statement about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj or Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. I have great respect for both the above great men,' he added. (ANI)