AMU VC says row was over former Vice President's visit, not Jinnah portrait

The Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on Wednesday dubbed the Jinnah portrait controversy as a 'non-issue' and underscored that the portrait of Pakistan's founder is also present at the Bombay High Court and the Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat.

AMU vice-chancellor, Professor Tariq Mansoor said, "Jinnah's portrait has been here since 1938. Jinnah's portrait is at many places including Bombay HC and Sabarmati Ashram and Nehru Museum too. No one was worried about the portraits until now; I think it is a non-issue."

Professor Mansoor also asserted that the agitation by students in the university had no connection with the Jinnah portrait row.

"Students' agitation had no relation to Jinnah portrait row, they were protesting against people who came to AMU to disturb the peace on May 2. Spoken to chief secretary for a judicial inquiry into the incident," he said while reacting on the ruckus due to which event of former vice-president Hamid Ansari was cancelled.

In Aligarh, some groups protested against the portrait of Jinnah present at the office of AMU student union's office.

The matter grabbed headlines first after Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Aligarh MP, Satish Gautam questioned the portrait's presence in the office.