Aligarh, May 24: Newly-elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP, Satish Kumar Gautam, on Friday triggered a political row by saying that his first priority would be to send the portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah kept in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) to Pakistan. Satish Kumar Gautam defeated Bahujan Samaj Party's Dr Ajeet Baliyan from Aligarh Lok Sabha seat in the parliamentary election.

"My first priority will be to send Jinnah's portrait that is locked in a room in Aligarh Muslim University to Pakistan," Gautam told news agency ANI. "I will also work for the reservation of SC/ST students. Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” is our motto," he added. A political controversy erupted last year following protests by right-wing group Hindu Yuva Vahini demanding the removal of Jinnah’s portrait from the students’ union office in AMU. Pakistan Says Jinnah Portrait Row Shows 'Growing Intolerance, Prejudice' in India Towards Muslims.

Violence had taken place in the AMU campus, after the varsity students objected to the protests. Gautam had written a letter to AMU Vice Chancellor Tariq Mansoor objecting to Jinnah's portrait. In response, the Vice Chancellor had said that the portrait of the Pakistan founder had been hanging in the AMU students' union office since 1938 and it was a non-issue.

BJP had won Aligarh seat five times in a row from 1991 to 2001 in the Lok Sabha elections. The Congress won back this seat in 2004 and lost it to the BSP in 2009.The BJP secured the Aligarh seat in 2014 when Satish Kumar Gautam defeated his BSP rival by over 2.87 lakh votes.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 24, 2019 03:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).