Kadapa: The Andhra Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reiterated the demand for renaming the ‘Jinnah Tower’ in Guntur, arguing that the name of the founder of Pakistan should be removed as “he was responsible for killings of lakhs of Hindus during the partition of India”.
The Andhra Pradesh BJP co-in charge Sunil Deodhar on Saturday said that the ‘Jinnah Tower’ in Guntur should be renamed while stressing that the party isn’t against Islam, but fundamentalism and appeasement politics.
Speaking at Ranabheri in Kadapa, Deodhar said, “In Guntur, a tower is named after Jinnah. He was responsible for the killing of lakhs of Hindus during the partition of ‘Akhanda Bharat (undivided India)’, and the persecution of Hindus in Pakistan. The BJP demands that the name of Muhammad Ali Jinnah be removed from the tower in Guntur.”
The BJP leader alleged that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is not willing to rename the tower because he fears losing his vote bank.
“The BJP won’t tolerate this. The BJP is not against Muslims or Islam, but fundamentalism and appeasement politics. The tower can be renamed after (former President) APJ Abdul Kalam, but he (CM) won’t do it, as he will not get votes,” Deodhar said.
Notably, the Andhra Pradesh unit of the BJP in December last year had submitted a memorandum to the Guntur Municipal Corporation Commissioner Challa Anuradha to press for the demand to rename ‘Jinnah Tower’ after the name of former President APJ Abdul Kalam.
The Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) authorities have got the tower painted in tricolour.
Further, Deodhar also asserted that the BJP will not allow the building of Tipu Sultan’s statue at Kadapa.
“The name of this district is Kadapa, which means ‘Chaukhat (entrance to Venkateswara Swami)’. The BJP will not allow the building of the statue of Tipu Sultan at Kadapa. He was a barbaric ruler who killed and forcefully converted millions of Hindus to Islam, while his army raped lakhs of Hindu women.”
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