Prakash Ambedkar slams police over Nagpur violence, warns of Aurangzeb row becoming next Ayodhya

Pune (Maharashtra) [India] , March 18 (ANI): Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi President Prakash Ambedkar while speaking with ANI voiced strong criticism of the Police's response to the recent violence in Nagpur, which erupted following rumours about the desecration of religious symbols. Ambedkar highlighted the role of misinformation in escalating tensions, stating that timely intervention by the police could have prevented the unrest.
According to Ambedkar, rumours about the burning of green cloth and the Quran fueled the violence.
He said,"According to the information provided to me by my workers, an effigy of the Mazar, which had a green cloth draped over it, was set on fire. Initially, a rumor spread that the green Mazar itself had been burned. Before the namaz could begin, a delegation approached the police commissioner to inform him about the false rumor being circulated."
"Before the namaz is over, the police should have reacted to it. The rumour was that the Quran was burnt... If the police had acted on these two reports, which they had, and made a statement that no Quran was burnt and no green cloth was burnt, I think the situation would have been a different one. I would not say the police should alone be held responsible, after all, they have to manage the show," he further added.
Prakash Ambedkar also criticized the state government for its selective approach, accusing Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of blaming only one side he also warned that such actions could deepen communal divides, suggesting that the controversy surrounding Aurangzeb's tomb might be used as a political tool in the upcoming 2026 parliamentary elections.
He said, "What the CM is doing is taking action against only one., this is slow built of making Hindi Raja vs Muslim Raja in Maharashtra and use Aurangzeb as platform for the next election, therefore Aurangzeb Mazar will be made next Ayodhya for the 2026 parliamentary election."
A curfew was imposed in multiple areas of Nagpur city under Section 163 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) following tensions over the demand to remove Aurangzeb's grave. According to the official order issued by Nagpur Police Commissioner Ravinder Kumar Singal, the restrictions will remain in place until further notice. (ANI)