Indian minister hails Jinnah as ‘great man’ amid picture row

LUCKNOW: Indian minister belonging to ruling Bharatiya Janata Party slammed his own party MP for questioning Aligarh Muslim University for displaying a photograph of Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah in the institute.

Calling Jinnah a ‘mahapurush’ (great man) who contributed for India before Pakistan was formed, Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Swami Prasad Maurya told reporters, “Jin bhi mahapurushon ka yogdan is rashtra ke nirman mein raha hai yadi unpar koi ungli uthata hai to bahut ghatiya baat hai… (It is shameful for anyone to point a finger on great leaders who contributed towards formation of the country).”

Satish Gautam had earlier written a letter to AMU vice-chancellor Tariq Mansoor seeking explanation for displaying Jinnah’s photo. He asked: What the compulsion of putting his picture on the campus?

Gautam said, though he didn’t know where the photo was displayed, the question is why it was there altogether because after India’s Partition, there was no justification for displaying the photo of Pakistan’s founder.