Opposition leaders question the proportionality of the action and express concern over its impact on students enrolled at the university
NEW DELHI — Senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha member from Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor, on Wednesday came down heavily on the Uttar Pradesh government’s proposed demolition of 38 buildings at Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur, calling the decision “perverse.” He also urged the authorities to avoid destroying a functioning educational institution.
The remarks came after the Rampur Development Authority (RDA) ordered the demolition of 38 out of 40 buildings at the university, alleging they were constructed without approved building plans.
The university, founded by incarcerated Samajwadi Party stalwart Azam Khan, has challenged the action, arguing that the campus was outside the RDA’s jurisdiction when the buildings were constructed. The authority, however, has rejected this claim.
Reacting to the development, Tharoor said Uttar Pradesh already faces a shortage of quality higher education institutions and that demolishing most of the university’s infrastructure would be unjustified.
“Bulldozing 38 out of 40 buildings of Mohd Ali Jauhar University, in a state with a dearth of quality institutions of higher education, is a perverse decision,” Tharoor wrote in a post on X.
https://x.com/ShashiTharoor/status/2079791000235733111?s=20
He argued that if there were violations in the construction process, the authorities should consider alternative legal measures instead of demolishing the university.
“If construction was illegal, find other punishments — fines, other punitive measures, even government takeover — but do not destroy a functioning university that UP needs!” Tharoor, also a former minister of state at the Centre, said.
Action’s Proportionality Questioned
The demolition order has sparked political debate, with opposition leaders questioning the proportionality of the action and expressing concern over its impact on students enrolled at the university.
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav appealed to students and parents across the country to save the university, describing it as a “temple of education”. He alleged that the BJP government was trying to “bulldoze the dreams” of thousands of students and their parents and said if there were paperwork deficiencies, they should be rectified, not demolished.
His party MP, Dimple Yadav, slammed the government, saying “BJP IS A BULLDOZER GOVERNMENT” over the notice, alleging it was running bulldozers over the future of students.
Former member of the Rajya Sabha and Azam Khan’s wife, Tazeen Fatma, called the order “absolutely Illegal” and said it was politically motivated, noting that with Azam Khan in jail, the family is being targeted.
The spokesman of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Asim Waqar, said the notice constitutes a major attack on the minority community and questioned why action was not taken against officials who were in charge when the buildings were constructed. He questioned why only this institution was targeted when many other buildings in the state lack approved maps.
State Congress president Ajay Rai called the move a political vendetta intended to divert attention, questioning how the competent authority heard the matter at 11 am on July 15 and passed the demolition order by 4 pm the same day. He argued the village only came under RDA jurisdiction in 2024, after the university was built in 2005.
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind President Maulana Mahmood Madani urged the UP government to reconsider the demolition order and give priority to lawful alternatives that would protect this national educational asset while safeguarding the future of thousands of students. He cited precedents from Kanpur, Varanasi and Jhansi where courts favoured regularisation over demolition.
Government’s Defence
Defending the action, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said the administration was committed to ensuring that the rule of law is followed without exception.
Minority Welfare Minister Danish Azad Ansari justified the action, alleging “Jauhar University was not built for the welfare of society, nor was it built to educate poor Muslims. It was built for personal interests. Government land was encroached upon…”
The matter is currently under legal challenge after the university management appealed against the demolition order before the Moradabad Divisional Commissioner’s court, which is scheduled to hear the case on July 28.
