Wading into the Jinnah portrait row, Union Minister VK Singh on Sunday in a post titled “Let us protect our freedom from abuse” said Muslims, who supported the presence of Pakistan founder’s portrait in the Aligarh Muslim University, were insulting their forefathers, as they had rejected his ideology.

They are Indians today because of their forefathers, the Minister of State for External Affairs said in a social media post.

Let us protect our freedom from abuse.#GenerallySaying pic.twitter.com/4DI5hAc8bY

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— Vijay Kumar Singh (@Gen_VKSingh) May 6, 2018

A controversy has erupted over the presence of Jinnah’s portrait at the AMU, with BJP leaders demanding that it be removed. A picture of the man responsible for India’s division cannot be accepted in a public-funded institution, BJP has said.

Singh said, “If you are not a Muslim but support the portrait’s presence because you think that protests against it curbs your freedom, then you should think if you would like on the walls of your house a picture of somebody whose hands are stained with the blood of your own people”.

“Without a doubt, freedom is everybody’s right. But we tend to forget that how many great people shed their blood in achieving it. Will they be proud today of the manner in which you are using your freedom? the former Army chief asked in the post titled ‘Let us protect our freedom from abuse’.”

Addressing AMU students, he said it is one of the leading universities in the country and they (the students) should be aware of the expectations the country has from them.

Singh suggested they have to choose between wisdom and prudence, or narrow-mindedness and extremism.

On the ongoing Jinnah portrait row, Olympic bronze medallist wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt had said that it is embarrassing to fight for someone who is responsible for dividing the country.

The wrestler tweeted, “How embarrassing to fight for people like Jinnah. A man who was responsible for the partition of the country and is still dividing it. Then why are we fighting for a Pakistani leader? Wake up India.”

Tension in AMU

Tension prevailed in Aligarh earlier this week as students resorted to sit-in at the university’s Baab-e-Syed gate, where they had clashed with the police on Wednesday. They even boycotted classes for two days.

Also read | Jinnah portrait row: After clashes in AMU, internet services suspended in Aligarh

The students offered Friday prayers at the scene of the dharna in which a large number of teachers and other members of the AMU fraternity participated.

On 2 April, clash took place when the students were demanding action against right-wing protesters who entered the AMU campus and demanded removal of Jinnah’s portrait from the Students’ Union Office, where it has been hanging for decades.

The row started after local BJP MP Satish Gautam wrote to AMU Vice Chancellor Tariq Mansoor raising objections to the portrait.

Objecting to the portrait, the Aligarh MP asked the Vice Chancellor to explain the presence of the portrait adding that after India’s Partition, there is no justification for displaying the picture of Pakistan’s creator.

In the letter, the BJP leader said that he wanted to know under what circumstances the portrait of Jinnah was still placed in the university.

The University said portraits of all life members of the student union hang there. Jinnah, a founder member of the University Court, had also been given this honour before Partition.