Jinnah portrait row: Aligarh Muslim University VC meets Rajnath Singh

NEW DELHI: Aligarh Muslim University vice-chancellor Tariq Mansoor met home minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday and discussed issues concerning the academic institution, engulfed in controversy over a portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah on its premises.

Singh assured Mansoor of all help from the Centre in restoring normalcy in the university, an official said. Mansoor later said the meeting had nothing to do with the current controversy. "I have requested the home minister to send central government officials for recruitment of students in central services," he said.

The VC said Jinnah’s portrait had been hanging in the AMU students’ union office since 1938 and it was a non-issue. BJP MP Satish Gautam had written to Mansoor objecting to the portrait, triggering a row that led to two men being arrested in connection with violence and exams being postponed to May 12.