On Thursday, BJP’s Andhra Pradesh chief Somu Veerraju demanded that the Jinnah tower in Guntur be renamed, saying that it is not right to have something still named after the man who was responsible for the splitting of India into two.
The same thoughts were echoed by BJP MLA in Telangana, Raja Singh, who also said that it is not right to let a tower still be named after the man who was responsible for the partitioning of India into India and Pakistan. He demanded that the AP government immediately rename the tower. Raja Singh, who represents the Goshamahal constituency in Hyderabad, demanded that the tower be named after freedom fighter Abul Kalam or Gurram Jashua.
Jinnah Tower in Guntur is a key landmark located on the Mahatma Gandhi Road, the main artery of the city. The tower stands as a symbol of peace and harmony, despite India’s history. It was built in honour of Jinnah in the pre-independence era and stands tall on six pillars, which open to a dome. This tower is considered to be a symbol of Islamic architecture and was built by a local Muslim leader Lal Jan Basha after the visit of Jinnah’s representative Judaliyaquat Ali Khan to Guntur.