NEW DELHI – BJP MP has asked Aligarh Muslim University to explain why itdisplays a portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, triggering a row days after astudent sought permission to hold an RSS shakha on the university premises.

In a letter written to Vice-Chancellor Tariq Mansoor yesterday, Aligarh MPSatish Gautam objected to the Pakistan founder’s picture on the walls ofthe AMU student union office.

AMU spokesman Shafey Kidwai today defended the portrait, which hasapparently been hanging there for decades, saying that Jinnah was a founderof the university and granted life membership of the student union.Traditionally, photographs of all life members are placed on the walls ofthe student union, he told PTI.

“Jinnah was also accorded life membership of the AMUSU in 1938. He was thefounder member of the University Court in 1920 and also a donor, thespokesman said. “He was granted membership before the demand of Pakistanhad been raised by the Muslim League,” he said.

The spokesman said no national leader had raised any objection to the photoeven after Independence. These included Mahatma Gandhi, Maulana Azad,Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, C Rajagopalachari, Rajendra Prasad and JawaharlalNehru.