'Jinnah divided country, how can we celebrate his achievements,' Yogi Adityanath speaks on AMU row

Breaking his silence on the row in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) over a portrait of Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said that Pakistan’s national leader cannot be given respect in India, according to media reports. [caption id=“attachment_4378793” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. PTI[/caption] In an interview to India Today, Adityanath, who is in Karnataka to campaign for the Bhartiya Janta Party said, “Jinnah divided this country. How can we celebrate his achievements?”. He also said that the matter shall be probed thoroughly. He said that the report is expected to be submitted to him by Friday, Financial Times reported. Controversy had erupted after a BJP MP wrote a letter to AMU’s vice-chancellor Tariq Mansoor objecting a a portrait of Pakistan founder’s picture on the walls of the AMU student union office. In their defence, the university has stated that the portrait has been hanging there for decades, since Jinnah was a founder of the university and was granted life membership of the student union. The Uttar Pradesh chief minister, is currently on a two-day Karnataka visit , where he is scheduled to address public meetings in Sirsi, Sagar, Balehonnuru, Belur, and Honnali on Thursday. In his rally in Sirsi, Adityanath alleged that law and order situation in Karnataka has collapsed. Deecan Herald, quoted him as saying, “The Karnataka government has failed to act despite an increase in number of murder of Hindu activists. The law and order situation in any state is a reflection of the mindset of the party in power”. He also said that the Congress party was sheltering Jihadists, while his government had been successful in curbing them, the report added. Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress too was quick to respond to the Chief Minister’s campaign. The party accused Adityanath for campaigning in poll-bound Karnataka even when people of his state were reeling under the impact of the severe dust storm that has left many dead. “Even if people of Uttar Pradesh are suffering, I am busy culling out ‘jumlas’ (gimmicks) in Karnataka elections Adityanath, missing chief minister, Uttar Pradesh,” tweeted Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala. The swipe at him follows the death of as many as 45 persons in the high-intensity dust storm that hit the state overnight. With inputs from PTI