“How idealising Aurangzeb, Tipu Sultan undermine syncretic, pluralistic culture of Indian subcontinent”, First Post, June 16, 2023:

“The city of Kolhapur in Maharashtra erupted in communal violence after controversial posts glorifying Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan were shared on social media by a few anti-social elements. On Wednesday, some organisations, including the Bajrang Dal, had called for a Kolhapur bandh and the members of these outfits gathered at Shivaji Chowk where the protests turned violent and the police had to resort to lathicharge to disperse the groups of protesters.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde appealed for calm, urging people not to take law into their hands. Shinde’s deputy Devendra Fadnavis said some politicians fearing a riot-like situation and a section of people glorifying Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan cannot be a mere coincidence.

This is not the first time that the followers and opponents of the respective legacies of Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan have found themselves at loggerheads with each other, brewing tension on the ground….”

Read the full article at Firstpost.com