A video of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut's statement on Aurangzeb's tomb and the demand to demolish it, is viral with a misleading claim that he praised him and termed the tomb a symbol of his valour.
BOOM found that the text in the viral posts are misleading and omit context from Raut's statement calling the tomb a symbol of bravery and success of the Maratha king Shivaji who fought against Aurangzeb.
Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb who ruled in the 17th century, has in recent years become a controversial figure in Maharashtra, with many Hindutva organisations calling for action against his supporters. This also led to the government officially renaming Aurangabad district in the state to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Graphic depictions of Aurangzeb executing Shivaji's son, Sambhaji, in a recent Bollywood movie, Chhaava sparked fresh outrage against the Mughal ruler. Members of the Bajrang Dal demanded demolition of Aurangzeb's tomb in Khuldabad; shored up by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and state chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
The controversy culminated in communal riots in Nagpur on March 17, which left several police personnel injured.
The video of Raut's statement is being shared on social media with text claiming, "Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut says, "...It (Aurangzeb's tomb) is a symbol of VALOR (shaurya,) and a symbol of valor should never be broken...just like Afzal Khan.... its our Official Stance What have they done to BalaSaheb's Legacy?"
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The video was posted on X by the handle @MeghUpdates with the same caption. BOOM has previously debunked misinformation of a communal nature posted by the same handle.
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FACT-CHECK
BOOM found that the text in the viral posts are misleading and omit context from Raut's statement. In the full speech, Raut compares the tomb to the bravery and 'valour' displayed by the Marathas who fought against Aurangzeb, not supporting him as being claimed.
We checked Raut’s daily press conferences over the past week and found that he has repeatedly held the same stance that Aurangzeb’s tomb is a symbol of courage for the Maratha king Shivaji who ultimately defeated him.
BOOM did not find any public statement made by Raut in praise or in support of Aurangzeb.
The viral video is from Raut's press conference on March 17, 2025 and the complete press conference can be seen in a YouTube video uploaded by ABP Majha.
At the 8.17 minutes timestamp, a reporter questions Raut about the protest against Aurangzeb's tomb, to which he replies in Marathi. The quote roughly translates to, "Who is the ruling government in India and Maharashtra? It is only their right? Modi and Fadnavis are from the violent Hindutva ideology. Who has stopped them from demolishing the tomb? Their administration should do it then (demolish the tomb), why are you troubling the people, ask the RSS to put out a demand, the Bajrang Dal and VHP are their cubs..."
He then goes on to cite his editorial written published in Saamana, a Marathi newspaper run by the Shiv Sena (UBT), "You should read today's editorial in Saamana...Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj showed such valour to the country... and the memorial of that is Aurangzeb's tomb. Before attacking Maharashtra, we tell them to go to Aurangzeb's tomb and see what happened to him. People who are unaware of history do all this (call for demolition of the tomb)..."
He then goes on to talk about Shivaji defeating Afzal Khan, a general who served the Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur Sultanat in the 1600s.
At the 11:13 counter in the video, Raut answers the same question in Hindi which roughly translates to, "...Shivaji Maharaj's fight was against Aurangzeb and the Mughals...Aurangzeb's is in Maharashtra, I believe this is a symbol of valour for the Marathas. The future generation should know how Shivaji Maharaj and Marathas fought against them and ultimately he could not gain victory and his tomb had to be made in Maharashtra."
After this we can hear the part in the viral video which is being shared without context on social media.
Media outlets including Times Of India, Zee News and NDTV carried Raut's full statement clearly specifying that he referred to the tomb as a symbol of Maratha bravery. None of the media reports mention Raut supporting or praising Aurangzeb.
