Sanjay Raut, a leader with the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and Rajya Sabha MP, called Prime Minister Narendra Modi an "aghori" on Saturday [1].

The remarks intensify political friction in Maharashtra as the opposition uses provocative historical and religious comparisons to challenge the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena coalition.

Raut said that there has never been an "Aghori figure" like Prime Minister Modi in Indian politics [1]. He said that Modi comes from the land of Aurangzeb, referencing the Prime Minister's origins in Gujarat [1, 2].

These comments were made amidst broader criticisms of the state government and rising communal tensions surrounding the lead-up to Eid-ul-Adha [3]. Raut has previously highlighted the nature of Maharashtra as a land of meat-eaters in the context of local disputes over animal sacrifice [3].

The Bharatiya Janata Party responded to the accusations. A BJP spokesperson said Raut has insulted both Modi and Gujarat by suggesting that the prime minister comes from the "land of Aurangzeb" [1].

The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena also joined the BJP in condemning the remarks. The controversy centers on the use of Aurangzeb, a Mughal emperor often viewed as a polarizing figure in Indian political discourse, to describe the Prime Minister's home state [1, 2].

Raut's strategy of using high-voltage rhetoric is part of a larger effort to mobilize voters and highlight government failures in Maharashtra [3].

“"There has never been an Aghori figure like Prime Minister Modi in Indian politics."”

The use of 'Aghori' and the reference to Aurangzeb are calculated political attacks designed to frame the Prime Minister as an outsider or a contradictory figure. By linking the BJP leader to a Mughal emperor often vilified by the party's own base, Raut is attempting to create a rhetorical paradox that challenges the BJP's nationalist narrative within the complex political landscape of Maharashtra.