A 14-year-old boy from Beed district in Maharashtra has been registered with a First Information Report (FIR) by the state police for allegedly posting a social media message that glorified Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The incident occurred on Thursday night and the boy, who was on vacation in Mumbai, promptly deleted the post and issued an apology through a video. Despite his actions, some Hindutva organizations have called for a bandh (shutdown) in a village within the district.
This incident follows other recent occurrences in Maharashtra where tensions have risen due to the display of photos of Aurangzeb during a procession in Ahmednagar and the alleged use of an objectionable audio message featuring 18th-century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan’s image as a social media status by individuals in Kolhapur city.Superintendent of Police Nandkumar Thakur of Beed stated that an FIR was filed against the 14-year-old under sections 295(A) (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) and 505(B) (description with intent to incite an offense) of the Indian Penal Code. Thakur mentioned that the boy, upon realizing the communal tension caused by his post, deleted it and expressed regret for any harm caused.Thakur further explained that once the boy returns, he will be questioned regarding the source of the image and possible involvement of others. Following the procedure, the boy will be presented before the juvenile court.The officer highlighted that incidents of communal unrest have increased since the renaming of Aurangabad to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. In response to the boy’s post, commercial establishments near the village’s market area in Beed shut down for half a day as a protest.The situation in the area is currently calm, with heavy police deployment ensuring no untoward incidents have been reported. Several districts in Maharashtra have experienced heightened communal tension due to social media messages glorifying Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan.
