Azam Khan-founded Jauhar University faces demolition as 38 buildings found illegal; UP govt says action as per law

Lucknow: A political controversy has erupted after the Rampur Development Authority (RDA) ordered the demolition of 38 out of 40 buildings at Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Uttar Pradesh, saying that the structures were constructed without obtaining approval from the competent authority.

While the Uttar Pradesh government defended the action as being in accordance with the law, the Samajwadi Party (SP) accused the BJP government of acting with political vendetta.

The RDA has directed the university to remove the unauthorised structures within 15 days, warning that the administration will initiate demolition proceedings if the institution does not comply with the order.

Defending the government’s stand, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said the administration was committed to ensuring that the rule of law is followed without exception.

“Our government is committed to maintaining law and order. We will ensure that the law is upheld in every situation and that no unauthorised construction takes place,” he told reporters.

Minority Welfare Minister Danish Azad Ansari also justified the action, saying that the university had been developed by encroaching upon public property rather than for the welfare of the community.

“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 for the construction of the university. Government-built roads worth crores were included on the university campus; some Waqf properties were also included. All this was revealed in an investigation. Following this, necessary action was taken,” Ansari told IANS.

The opposition Samajwadi Party, however, strongly criticised the move, describing the demolition order as politically motivated and discriminatory.

SP MLA Ravidas Mehrotra alleged that the BJP government was targeting the university out of spite.

Speaking to IANS, he said, “The BJP government is acting out of malice and a spirit of vendetta. They are preparing to bulldoze Jauhar University. The BJP government failed to bulldoze the homes of those who embezzled donations meant for the Ram Mandir, yet they are attempting to demolish a place where students study. The BJP will have to pay a heavy price for this; it has sparked anger among the youth.”

The university is administered by the Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, which was earlier chaired by jailed former Minister and senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan.

According to the RDA, the demolition order was passed under Section 27(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973, after examining records in detail and hearing arguments from both sides.

Rampur District Magistrate Ajay Kumar Dwivedi said the proceedings were initiated after a report submitted by the regional junior engineer highlighted alleged unauthorised construction across the university campus.

Following the report, the university management was served with a notice and asked to submit its response. It filed its written reply on July 8, after which a personal hearing was conducted on July 15 in the presence of officials, legal representatives of the university, and RDA authorities.

During the hearing, the university argued that the campus, located in Singankhera village, did not fall within the jurisdiction of the Rampur Development Authority before September 27, 2024. It maintained that approval from the RDA was therefore not required when the buildings were constructed and contended that the structures could not be retrospectively declared illegal under the present jurisdiction.

The development authority rejected this argument, stating that permission from the competent authority applicable at the time of construction was mandatory irrespective of whether the area later came under the RDA’s jurisdiction.

According to the demolition order, official records obtained from the Rampur Zila Panchayat showed that only two structures — the medical college building and the academic block — had approved building plans. The remaining 38 buildings, the authority said, had no valid construction approvals.

The RDA further observed that the university management was fully aware of the legal requirement to obtain permission before construction, as it had secured approval from the Zila Panchayat for the two authorised buildings. Despite this, it proceeded with the construction of the remaining structures without obtaining the necessary sanctions.

Concluding its findings, the authority held that the constructions violated the provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act and were therefore liable for demolition and other action under the law.

It also dismissed the university’s legal submissions concerning the master plan, zonal plan and other provisions of the Act, maintaining that the legality of any structure is determined by whether it received approval from the competent authority under the laws in force at the time it was built.

Mohammad Ali Jauhar University was established in 2006 through an Act passed by the Uttar Pradesh Legislature. It is situated around 12 kilometres from Rampur Station.

Khan served as the Chancellor and lifetime president of the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, which managed the university.

Earlier this year, Azam Khan and members of his family formally stepped down from the university’s governing trust.

IANS