Vijayawada, January 26, 2022: On January 26, as the nation celebrates its Republic Day, The Guntur Police has arrested members of the Hindu Vahini trying to unfurl the Indian National flag at the ‘Jinnah Circle’ in Guntur. The Hindu Vahini had announced to hoist the tricolour on the Jinnah tower in the city, but the Guntur Police has thwarted their attempt while trying to do so.
Tensions rose in the area as some people who tried to climb the Jinnah tower were arrested by the police. In the video that emerged, the Police is seen using force while controlling the people with the tricolour in their hands. It is now learnt that the policee has increased the security cover to the tower and has added a fence to prevent anyone from entering the tower according to the reports published in opindia.com.
The move has sparked strong reactions from netizens. People are questioning the police action against Indian citizens trying to hoist the National Flag on Republic day and are asking why there is still a tower and a circle named after Jinnah in India.
The ‘Jinnah’ tower in Guntur is a one-of-a-kind building named after Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. According to some, it allegedly stands as a ‘symbol of peace and harmony’ in the city. One theory of its origins suggests that Lal Jan Basha, a Telugu Desam Party member felicitated Judaliyaquat Ali Khan, a representative of Jinnah when visited Guntur in the pre-Independence era by building this tower.
However, The state BJP unit leaders have demanded to change the name of this tower saying that it is an insult to the country to have a centre with the name of a ‘traitor’ even after 75 years. BJP national secretary, Y. Satya Kumar and Telangana BJP MLA Raja Singh had earlier demanded renaming the Jinnah tower with APJ Abdul Kalam’s name. Y. Satya Kumar questioned Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy over the additional security provided to the tower at a time when a 102-year-old Bhagwan Ram Temple is being demolished in Tenali, Guntur.
BJP leaders from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have continuously demanded to change the name of the tower by replacing it with that of freedom fighters. The forceful detaining of Hindu activists by Guntur Police to unfurl tricolour on the tower has added fire to the ongoing controversy.
