Somu Veerraju, BJP's Andhra Pradesh chief, has demanded that Guntur's Jinnar tower, named after Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, be renamed. Jinnah was the cause of India's division and the state government should change the tower's name, he said.
"How can we continue to use the name of a man who was responsible for the country's division for the tower or the area," he asked. Wherever there are names of anti-nationals, they must be removed, he opined.
Raja Singh, a BJP MLA from Goshamahal constituency in Hyderabad, Telangana, has also demanded that the Andhra Pradesh government rename the tower immediately. "How can you continue to use the name of a man who is responsible for the division of the country and death of many people," he asked. He demanded that the tower be named after freedom fighter Abul Kalam or Gurram Jashua instead.
Jinnah Tower is a key landmark. It is located on Mahatma Gandhi Road, the main road of the city, and has stood as a symbol of peace and harmony despite the many conflicts between the neighbouring countries. It was built in honour of Jinnah in the pre-independence era by a local Muslim leader Lal Jan Basha after Judaliyaquat Ali Khan, Jinnah's representative, visited Guntur. It stands on six pillars that opens to a dome and is considered a symbol of Islamic architecture.