GUNTUR: At the centre of a controversy over its name, Jinnah Tower in Guntur city has been painted in colours of the Tricolour, and the National Flag was hoisted near it. On Thursday, Home Minister Mekathoti Sucharita unfurled the National Flag. “This will put an end to the controversy created by some political parties who targetted Jinnah Tower for selfish reasons,” she said.
The tower has been in news after the BJP demanded that the State government rename it after APJ Abdul Kalam. Recently, members of a Hindu group were arrested as they tried to put the Tricolour atop the tower.
The tower has a history of 77 years.
According to historians, it is said that Jinnah helped Lal Jan Basha in reducing the life sentence of 14 freedom fighters from Komerapudi. Thankful for his help, Basha invited Jinnah to Guntur and organised a meeting in his honour.
But, unfortunately, Jinnah couldn’t attend the meeting, and instead, Jadaliyaquat Ali Khan, one of his representatives, attended it. To mark the occasion, the tower was constructed by Basha, the grandfather of former MP from TDP Lal Jan Basha. Another narrative says that two municipal chairpersons, Nadimpalii Narasimha Rao and Telakulla Jalayya, constructed of the tower to symbolise peace and harmony.