MUMBAI: Veteran lyricist-screenwriter and former Rajya Sabha MP Javed Akhtar on Thursday took to Twitter to voice his opinion on Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s portrait in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
Reacting to the ongoing controversy at the university, the 73-year-old writer tweeted that it is shameful that Jinnah’s portrait hangs in AMU as he was neither a teacher, nor a student of Aligrah. He furthered that the students protesting should also oppose “temples made to honour 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).”
Jinnah was neither a student nor a teacher of Alig Its 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.
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) May 3, 2018
However, twitteratis are of the view that Jinnah and Godse should not be put in the same tweet.
There is no need to put jinnah and godse in same tweet, it called monkey balancing. U want to talk abt godse tweet one more…But when u indulge in secular tweeting it makes ur comments less important…And as third person tweet looks more like whataboutery.
— Vivek kumar mishra (@greatvivek007) May 3, 2018
Yeah no point putting Jinnah and Godse in the same tweet. Jinnah never killed anyone
— Ayush (@LotusTile) May 3, 2018
Nope. Partition was the collective failure of all to reach a consensus. Yes, Jinnah shares the blame but so do others. Nor did Jinnah 'want' anyone dead. Godse wanted Gandhi dead. Intent matters.
Like I said, Jinnah and Godse cannot be compared. Godse was India's first terrorist— Ayush (@LotusTile) May 3, 2018
Though I am no Jinnah fan at all, I believe his portrait should stay because for AMU , he has done lots . He was a donor and also he was given a Life membership of AMU Students Union. He was also a Founder member of the University Court in 1920.
— Menon (@cochinmenon) May 3, 2018
https://twitter.com/MALIK_ALTAF/status/991928682473193473
Yeah no point putting Jinnah and Godse in the same tweet. Jinnah never killed anyone
— Ayush (@LotusTile) May 3, 2018
The row erupted at the campus after Bharatiya Janata Party’s Aligarh MP Satish Gautam questions to the Pakistan founder’s portrait on the walls of the AMU Student Union Office.
As many as 28 Aligarh Muslim University(AMU) students and 13 cops injured in clash which ensued when students were marching to police station after Hindu groups protested outside University campus late on Wednesday. Students allege they were targeted by police and were demanding a ban on Hindu groups.