Rename Guntur Jinnah tower or we'll raze it: Andhra BJP

After stalling a plan to install Tipu Sultan statue in Proddutur town in Rayalaseema, the BJP has now brought its attention to the Jinnah Tower in Andhra Padesh's Guntur.

The tower, a landmark in Guntur with considerable presence of Muslims, is said to have been built about 80 years back and the area is popular as Jinnah tower centre.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah, a barrister and All India Muslim League leader president, is regarded as the founder of Pakistan.

The row now began with a tweet from Y Satya Kumar, BJP's national secretary and party's co-in-charge for Uttar Pradesh.

“This tower is named after Jinnah & area as Jinnah Centre. Irony, it’s not in Pakistan but in Guntur City of AP. A centre that still carries the name of a traitor of India. Why shouldn’t it be named after Dr Kalam or son of the soil, a great Dalit poet, Gurram Jashuva? Just an idea!,” Kumar tweeted on Thursday, along with a picture of the green colored structure.

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Kumar followed up with another tweet, calling the tower a ‘Symbol of Shame’.

“A shame that due to vote bank politics, we continue to have this tower despite 75 years of freedom! Let the youth of India decide whether to retain or demolish it.”

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Irrespective of parties, the Guntur East assembly constituency is represented by a Muslim for about four decades now.

State BJP leaders are supporting the demand to rename it, while some want it to be razed to the ground entirely.

“It is unfortunate that while the nation is celebrating Azadi ka amrit mahotsav, we have roads/junctions bearing names of people responsible for the partition,” Andhra BJP chief Somu Veerraju said while asking the Jaganmohan Reddy government to alter all such disputable names in the state.

Vishnu Vardhan Reddy, Andhra BJP general secretary, demanded the TDP and Congress to reveal their official stand on the issue.

“If Aurangzeb Road in New Delhi can be changed to APJ Abdul Kalam, then why not rename the Jinnah tower centre also after the former president of India. We would agitate first and if the state government does not concede to the demand, we will be forced to raze the structure with public support,” Reddy told DH.

BJP leaders say that the Pakistan government had in 2017 publicised “the tower in Guntur, India as a symbol of peace and harmony.”

“When in fact, it has a history of communal riots. It was built as a mark of gratitude to Jinnah who is said to have saved few local Muslims facing death penalty for communal riots, killings, by arguing in their favour,” Reddy said.

Local Muslims are appealing not to look at the tower with a communal angle.

While the controversy is raging on, some analysts believe the BJP chose to rake the matter now to deflect the attention from the embarrassment it is facing because of Somu's offer to Andhra voters on Tuesday.

Speaking at the party organised “Praja-agraha Sabha” against YSRCP's “anti-people policies,” Somu said that if “the one crore alcohol consumers in AP” vote BJP to power, “we will give you cheap liquor for Rs 70 only.”

“And if the revenues are good, we would further reduce the price to Rs 50.”

In June this year, a row erupted in Andhra Pradesh over Tipu Sultan, with a statue of the erstwhile Mysore ruler planned to be erected in Proddatur town in Kadapa district.

The desire of the Muslim community in Proddatur was backed by YSRCP MLA Rachamallu Siva Prasad Reddy, while the attempt was met with opposition from BJP leaders.

Projecting Tipu as a tormentor of Hindus, the Andhra BJP warned of agitation and demolition of the structure, if built. The project was shelved later.

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