NEW DELHI: Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s portrait in the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has reportedly gone missing after the university received threats by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker two days ago.
In a letter addressed to the Aligarh Muslim University V-C Tariq Mansoor, BJP MP Satish Gautam said, “It is fine if Jinnah has been revered in Pakistan after Partition. But his portrait should not be put up here in India.”
He said instead of putting Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s portrait, the university should celebrate the contributions of Raja Mahendra Pratap and Sir Syed Ahmed who played a crucial role in establishing the university.
According to university officials, the portrait was installed in 1938 before Partition, at the peak of Muslim League campaign for a separate nation for the Muslims of India.
Reacting to the demand, Students Union has said Jinnah and many other pre-Partition leaders were conferred honorary membership of the university and their portraits have been installed in the campus since 1920.
“Jinnah’s portrait was installed when he was conferred life membership (of the Students’ Union) in 1938. AMU has many things from the pre-Partition era like the Victoria Gate. Should that be brought down as well?” asked former AMU Students’ Union President Faizul Hasan.
“It is a tradition since 1920 to honour people of eminence with life membership. AMU first conferred it on Mahatma Gandhi in 1920 and on Jinnah in 1938,” AMU spokesman Omar Peerzada told a news channel.
