NEW DELHI – Famous Dargah Aala Hazrat of Bareilvi Muslim sect in India hasissued a fatwa against the Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah directingMuslims in the country not to support him.

In a reply to a question asked by Bakhtiar Khan of Bibiganj, Bareilly, theSpokesperson of Dargah Aala Hazrat Maulana Shahbuddin said that “Jinnah wasresponsible for the partition of the country and no Muslim in India shouldstand in support for him.”“Jinnah is a part of enemy nation Pakistan, notIndia. His portraits should be removed not only from Aligarh MuslimUniversity but from everywhere,” said Maulana Shahabuddin while issuing afatwa against Jinnah. Earlier, General Secretary of Jamiat-e-Ulama-HindMaulana Mohammad Madani had echoed similar sentiments asking agitatingstudents to remove portrait of Jinnah from the AMJUSU Hall.

An executive member of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) andImam of Lucknow Idgah Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali had stated thatJinnah was responsible for the division of the country and as such hisportrait should be removed from the AMU campus. The controversy over theportrait of Jinnah at AMUSU Hall had begun when the BJP MP from AligarhSatish Gautam had shot off a letter to the AMU Vice-Chancellor asking himto remove the picture the Pakistan’s founder.

On May 2, activists of the Hindu Yuva Vahni, ABVP and Hindu Yuva Vahini hadburnt an effigy of Jinnah outside AMU main gate and tried to enter thecampus forcibly. It resulted into retaliation from the AMU students. Policehad to fire teargas shells and resort to lathicharge to disperse theagitated mob from both sides.

Over a dozen students had sustained injuries in the police action. Sincethen the Muslim University students are holding dharna at the gate afterboycotting classes.