Maharashtra Political Row Erupts Over AIMIM's 'Green Maharashtra' Statement

A political clash has intensified in Maharashtra following statements made by AIMIM leaders about turning the state "green". State Minister Nitesh Rane strongly criticized AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel for supporting a remark by party colleague Sahar Sheikh, stating that "the green snake has forgotten its history" and Maharashtra will always remain "saffron". Rane invoked historical figures like Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan, whose ambitions were supposedly quashed by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. He warned that anyone dreaming of defeating the "Hindu nation" would be buried near Aurangzeb's grave, asserting Maharashtra's saffron identity. The controversy began when Imtiaz Jaleel backed Sahar Sheikh's assertion that AIMIM would "make all of Mumbra green" and, by extension, the entire state. Sheikh's initial statement following a victory in Thane municipal elections had already drawn criticism from the BJP and Shiv Sena. Mumbra police issued Sheikh a notice for her allegedly provocative remarks, advising restraint on public platforms. Imtiaz Jaleel labeled the police action as "selective" and vowed that AIMIM would not back down from its political expansion in Maharashtra.