Fact Check: Did Uddhav Thackeray call Mughal emperor Aurangzeb a martyr

New Delhi, Jun 25: Amidst the political crisis in Maharashtra a video of Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray has been circulating on the social media with the claim that he called Mughal emperor Aurangzeb a martyr.

Thackeray was heard saying in the 30 second long video that Aurangzeb was a Muslim. He died fighting for our country and hence we should be proud of him. That is what my Hindutva has taught me. It has not taught me to discriminate against any religion, he also said.

We found that this clip has been altered to give it a false spin. Thackeray was referring to a Kashmiri soldier Aurangzeb who was murdered in 2018. He was not referring to the Mughal emperor.

The video was uploaded on the TV9's Marathi channel on June 8 2022 with the caption in Marathi, Aurangzeb became a martyr for the country: Uddhav Thackeray.

The longer version of the clip makes it clear which Aurangzeb the Maharashtra CM is referring to.

Several media outlets had reported his speech that was made at a meeting in Aurangabad. He said that the Shiv Sena has not forgotten the demand to rename Aurangabad as Sambhaji Nagar. He also said that not all people named Aurangzeb were the same. He then cited the soldier from Kashmir.

Aurangzeb was posted to the 44 Rashtriya Rifles camp at Shadimarg in Shopian. He was kidnapped by terrorists after he left the camp to go back home for Eid on June 14 2018. His body was found in Pulwama with fifteen bullet wounds.

Hence it is clear that the Maharashtra CM was referring to the Kashmiri soldier and not the Mughal emperor.