Nine people were injured during overnight clashes in India that began over a Hindu nationalist outfit’s campaign to demolish the tomb of a long-dead Muslim emperor, local media reported Tuesday.

Activists from the far-right Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) had been campaigning in the central city of Nagpur to demand the dismantling of the tomb housing Aurangzeb, a Mughal dynasty ruler who died more than 300 years ago.

Aurangzeb is a loathed figure among Hindu nationalists, who accuse him of persecuting their faith during his nearly five-decade rule in the 17th century.


Violence broke out in the city on Monday after protesters set fire to a photo of Aurangzeb along with a symbolic replica of his grave, broadcaster NDTV reported.