Javed Akhtar
While agreeing that putting up Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s portrait in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) was “shameful”, noted lyricist and former Rajya Sabha MP Javed Akhtar on Thursday said that those who are protesting against it should also oppose the temples made to honour Nathuram Godse.
“Jinnah was neither a student nor a teacher of Aligarh. It’s a shame that his portrait is there. The administration n students should voluntarily remove it from there n those who were protesting against this portrait should now protest against the temples made to honour Godse (Sic),” Javed Akhtar tweeted.
Javed Akhtar was reacting to the controversy that erupted after Aligarh MP Satish Gautam objected to the Pakistan founder’s picture on the walls of the AMU Student Union Office.
Defending the portrait of Jinnah, AMU spokesman Shafey Kidwai had said that Jinnah was a founder member of the university court and was granted life membership of the student union. He also added that it was a tradition to place photographs of all life members on the walls of the student union office.
The row sparked violence at the campus on Wednesday which resulted in at least six people being injured when the police lobbed teargas shells to disperse AMU students, who were demanding the arrest of the protesters who had earlier barged into the campus shouting slogans.
The AMU students alleged that the protesters were from Hindu Yuva Vahini, and were allowed to leave a police station even after being initially detained.
(With agency inputs)
