"BJP Needed Aurangzeb For politics As Bajrang Bali Didn't Help": Sanjay Raut

'Bajrang Bali' did not help the BJP in the Karnataka elections, so the party is now relying on historical figures like Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said here on Thursday.

Speaking at the Uddhav Thackeray-led party's foundation day program, the Rajya Sabha member blamed the ruling alliance member BJP for the recent incidents of communal violence in Maharashtra.

"(Mughal Emperor) Aurangzeb's tomb is in Maharashtra. Aurangzeb has been buried here....Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's Maharashtra buried him, then why he is being brought to life again in Kolhapur, Sangamner or somewhere else?" Mr Raut asked.

The BJP needed Aurangzeb for its politics, he said, adding "This is because Bajrang Bali did not help them in Karnataka....then they rake up Aurangzeb, Tipu Sultan, Bahadur Shah Zafar, Afzal Khan. You (BJP) are bringing them to life because you need them. Because your Hindutva is dependent on these Khans and it is bogus," Mr Raut added.

Kolhapur in western Maharashtra saw violent protests by right-wing outfits on Wednesday over some persons using a picture of Tipu Sultan accompanied by an 'offensive' audio clip in their social media statuses.

At Sangamner in Ahmednagar district, some persons were booked for allegedly carrying pictures of Aurangzeb during a procession.

"(Deputy Chief Minister Devendra) Fadnavis asks from where these descendants of Aurangzeb came.... This has happened because of you (BJP)," Mr Raut further said.

Most of the people involved in the incidents in Kolhapur were from outside the city, the Sena (UBT) MP said, adding that messages are passed overnight and violence is engineered.

On the pending disqualification petitions against 16 MLAs of the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Raut said Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar has to play the role of "executioner".

"The Supreme Court has already sentenced it (Shinde government) to death. Now to implement this, there has to be an executioner. The issue has landed back in the Maharashtra legislature. Now the Speaker has to play the role of executioner (by deciding on the petitions)," he said.

Mr Raut, meanwhile, rebuked local Sena (UBT) leaders over the thin attendance at the program, saying they had failed to make party workers remain present.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)