AMU V-C meets Rajnath amid Jinnah portrait row

Aligarh Muslim University Vice Chancellor Tariq Mansoor on Wednesday met Home Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss issues concerning the premier academic institution, engulfed in controversy over a portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah on its premises. Singh assured Mansoor of all help from the Central Government in restoring normalcy in the university, an official privy to the meeting said.

Mansoor, however, later told reporters that the meeting was fixed long ago and had nothing to do with the current controversy. “I have requested the Home Minister to send Central Government officials for the recruitment of students in Central services like the engineering service,” he said.

The VC said the portrait of the Pakistan founder had been hanging in the AMU students’ union office since 1938 and it was a non-issue. BJP MP Satish Gautam had written a letter to Mansoor objecting to the portrait, triggering a row that led to two youths being arrested in connection with incidents of violence and exams being postponed to May 12.

The Vice Chancellor in an open letter, urged student “not to fall into the trap of certain forces which are bent upon destroying the image of our alma mater and are playing with your bright future”.