On March 17, violent clashes erupted in Nagpur, Maharashtra, following protests by right-wing Hindu organisations demanding the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb. The unrest resulted in injuries to over 30 individuals, including police officers and significant property damage. Authorities imposed an indefinite curfew and arrested more than 50 people in response.
In the above context, a video of Uddhav Thackeray, the former chief minister of Maharashtra from Shiv Sena, has gone viral. In the video, he can be heard giving a speech in which he says, “If I will say yes, he is my brother, then you will ask, do you know what was his name? His name was Aurangzeb. He might be Muslim, but he sacrificed his life for the nation. Was he not your brother?”
The video is shared on X with the caption, “‘Aurangzeb was our brother who sacrificed his life for Mother India’: Listen to this slanderer! This fool has gone so crazy in his lust for power and in the company of Sonia that he is teaching new history about the killer of Hindus and the biggest enemy of Shivaji.” (Translated from Hindi)
SouthCheck found that the claim is misleading. The video shows Uddhav Thackeray praising Aurangzeb, an Indian soldier.
On a reverse image search, we found the clip’s extended video was published on the Facebook account of Uddhav Thackeray on February 19, 2023. At around 32:25-minute timestamp, we can hear Uddhav Thackeray telling the story.
He said, “It is a matter of 2-3 years ago. There was an Indian soldier who had taken leave to go home. When terrorists heard that he had taken a leave and was going home alone, they abducted him and killed him. Was he our own or not? He sacrificed his life for the nation. If I say yes, he is my brother, then you will ask, do you know what his name was? His name was Aurangzeb. He might be Muslim, but he sacrificed his life for the nation. Was he not your brother?”
The video was also shared by ABP Manjha on February 19, 2023.
We also found a report published by The Times of India on June 18, 2018. The report suggested that rifleman Aurangzeb was a 24-year-old Indian Army soldier from Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry. While traveling home to Poonch to celebrate Eid in June 2018, he was abducted and killed by terrorists inthe Pulwama district. Aurangzeb had been part of the team that eliminated Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Sameer Tiger.
Hence, we conclude that the viral claim is misleading.
