Nearly 319 years after Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was buried in a modest open grave in Khuldabad , Maharashtra cabinet minister Nitesh Rane has renewed the demand for its removal, claiming that a date has already been decided but will not be disclosed.

Speaking about removing encroachments from historic forts at an event in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Thursday, Rane credited Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with taking the initiative to free the state’s forts from what he described as “jihad”. He then turned his attention to Aurangzeb’s tomb, saying the site also had a deadline.

“We do not want that garbage here. Those who love it can take it to their Pakistan. We do not want it here. People will ask me when it will happen. I will not reveal the date. Fadnavis knows when to break this news,” Rane said.

He added that Aurangzeb’s tomb should not be associated with the identity of Maharashtra or used to defame the state.

This is not the first time Rane has threatened to remove the tomb.…