BJP lawmaker calls for demolition of Jinnah House in Mumbai

BJP lawmaker says a cultural centre highlighting Maharashtra's culture and pride should be built in its place

A lawmaker belonging to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded that Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah's residence in Mumbai be demolished and a cultural centre be built in its place.

Addressing the Indian Legislative Assembly on budgetary demands, MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha on Monday said, "The Jinnah residence in south Mumbai was the place from where the conspiracy of Partition was hatched," Times of India reported.



"Jinnah House is a symbol of the Partition. The structure should be demolished," he added. According to Lodha, India's Public Works Department (PWD) pays hundreds and thousands of rupees for the property's upkeep and maintenance.

Her further added that after the approval of the Enemy Property Act, Jinnah's heirs have no claim over the Jinnah house. "The structure should be demolished and a cultural centre highlighting Maharashtra's culture and pride should be built. The cultural centre should also exhibit the glorious history of India," Lodha said.

The Jinnah house is located in Malabar Hill area in south Mumbai.

The Enemy Property Act of 1968, enacted after the India-Pakistan War three years earlier, gave the Indian government the right to seize assets of Indian nationals who had moved to Pakistan or China following wars with the two countries.



Those who left India for Pakistan were Muslims, and relations between the two countries remain fraught after numerous conflicts. Pakistan enacted a similar law at the time and seized properties of those who left for India.

This article originally appeared on The Times of India.