LUCKNOW: Members of a Hindutva group have posted images of prominent Mughal emperors, Aurangzeb and Babur, in public toilets and urinals in the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh state of India.
The incidents took place in Pilkhuwa town of Hapur district. The extremist group, wearing saffron scarves, filmed the act and uploaded the footage to social media.
In the video, the group is seen pasting images of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, and Aurangzeb, the longest-reigning Mughal emperor, onto the walls and urinals of public restroom facilities. After placing the images, the members of the group desecrated the photographs by beating them with shoes, claiming they had renamed the facilities.
Just a few days earlier, a similar incident occurred in Delhi, where a group of Hindutva supporters spats on and urinated on an Akbar Road signboard.
These acts are not isolated but are part of a broader, coordinated campaign led by Hindutva groups and far-right politicians. Over the past few years, these groups have ramped up efforts to rename Mughal-era landmarks, including cities, roads, institutions, and even chapters in school curriculum associated with the Mughal Empire.
This rhetoric has gained significant traction, particularly following the release of Chhaava, a Bollywood film that portrays Aurangzeb as a villain and these actions have also sparked concerns about rising communal tensions and the potential for hate-driven attacks.
