New Delhi, May 2 (PTI) The Congress today asked the BJP to clear its stand on Muhammad Ali Jinnah and say whether they consider him a patriot as some of its leaders have claimed.

"BJP leaders like L K Advani and Jaswant Singh have lauded Jinnah as a patriot. When questions are raised on its leaders, on Jinnah, the BJP keeps quiet. It should clarify its stand on Jinnah before the country," Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said.

His demand came as media reports said Uttar Pradesh Labour Minister and BJP leader Swami Prasad Maurya called Jinnah a 'mahapurush' (a great personality) from the time of undivided India. Maurya reportedly praised him when asked to comment on the row sparked by another BJP MP Satish Gautam, who had objected to Jinnah's portrait at Aligarh Muslim University.

Asked what the Congress' stand on Jinnah was, Shukla said his party considers him the person who divided the nation.

"The Congress stand on Jinnah is clear, that he divided the country and it should not have been done. Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru wanted the nation to remain united, but Jinnah betrayed the country," he said.

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