Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's tomb to remain closed for five days amid court hearing on Gyanvapi mosque

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Mumbai: With the Supreme Court on Thursday directing the Varanasi civil court to not proceed with the case related to the Gyanvapi mosque till it takes up the case on May 20, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb will remain closed for five days to ensure that the law and order situation in the state does not get affected.

This state government order came in the wake of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi`s brother Akbaruddin Owaisi recent visit to Aurangzeb`s tomb in Maharashtra`s Aurangabad district. Speaking about the OBC reservation in local polls, Ajit Pawar said, "We have discussed the issue of OBC reservation with the Advocate General, Law and Judiciary Ministry and others. Today I will meet the Chief Minister also. This was unanimously decided by all parties that we should do elections with OBC reservations."

Addressing mediapersons here on Thursday, Pawar said, "We are studying the report of the Madhya Pradesh government and on the same basis, we will also look for OBC reservation in the manner that total reservation doesn`t go beyond 50 per cent." On Wednesday, the Supreme Court gave the green signal for OBC reservation in the local body elections in Madhya Pradesh.

Ajit Pawar is quoted by ANI as: "If SC judgment for Maharashtra`s OBC reservation comes out like Madhya Pradesh`s, the other parties would say that the verdict is the outcome of all-party support. And if it does not, then they will just blame the state government."

He said that Maharashtra government is planning to introduce a Bill in the state assembly to secure Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation in upcoming local body elections.

The top court directed the Madhya Pradesh election commission to notify election local body elections in one week about the OBC reservation.

ASI closes Aurangzeb's tomb for 5 days

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has shut Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's tomb here in Maharashtra for five days after a mosque committee in the area tried to lock the place, an official said on Thursday.

Two days ago, MNS spokesperson Gajanan Kale had in a tweet questioned the need for the monument's existence in the state and said it should be destroyed.

Later, a mosque committee in Aurangabad's Khultabad area, where the tomb is located, tried to lock the monument, which is protected by the ASI. Subsequently,  the ASI deployed additional security guards at the monument.

When contacted ASI's Aurangabad circle superintendent Milan Kumar Chauley told PTI, "Earlier, the mosque committee tried to lock the place, but we opened it. On Wednesday, we took a decision to shut the tomb for the next five days." adding "We will review the situation and then decide to open it or to keep it closed for another five days."

Notably, AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi's visit to the tomb was criticised by the ruling Shiv Sena in the state as well as the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

(With Agency Inputs)