Nagpur city in Maharashtra

On March 17, 2025, Nagpur city in Maharashtra had widespread unrest amidst protests for the demolition of 17th-century Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's tomb. Protests turned ugly with clashes among Hindu and Muslim groups, where at least 34 police personnel and five citizens were injured. A number of properties, like cars and residential houses, suffered damage during the unrest.

The violence started in the Chitnis Park locality at about 7:30 PM, where stone-pelting attacks were launched against police personnel. The agitation spread to Hansapuri, where vehicles were attacked with fire and police vans were vandalized. Authorities reacted by imposing an indefinite curfew in many areas of Nagpur to re-establish order. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis denounced the attack, terming it a "planned incident," and underlined that the police personnel would not be allowed to be targeted. He stated that 33 police officials, including three Deputy Commissioners, were seriously injured and one of them was in a critical condition. Fadnavis vowed to take strong action against the culprits. Nagpur Police Commissioner Ravinder Singal said more than 50 people have been arrested in relation to the clashes and five First Information Reports (FIRs) have been filed. He denied allegations of police insufficiency, pointing out that police were on the ground from the beginning of the disturbances, which resulted in injuries to 33 policemen. The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), a right-wing Hindu organization, had planned demonstrations calling for the destruction of Aurangzeb's mausoleum, blaming the Mughal emperor for persecution of Hindus in his time. The VHP claimed no hand in the violence, saying that their protests were peaceful and called for the destruction of the tomb to be replaced by a memorial to local Maratha rulers. Opposition politicians accused the state government of not upholding law and order. Congress leader Nana Patole called the incident a "failure of the government and the police," while Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut wondered how violence was possible in Nagpur, which is the hometown of the Chief Minister and the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Authorities have urged citizens to maintain peace and avoid spreading rumors. The situation in Nagpur is currently under control, with security forces remaining vigilant to prevent further incidents.