The Rampur district administration in Uttar Pradesh has issued a demolition order targeting 38 of 40 buildings at Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, alleging they violate regulatory guidelines. The order, issued on July 15, mandates removal by August 5, with authorities warning they will deploy bulldozers and bill the university for demolition costs if compliance is not achieved. An interim stay was subsequently issued, though officials clarified this delays rather than cancels the demolition threat.
The university, founded in 2006 by prominent Muslim politician Azam Khan through the Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust established in 2003, serves approximately 3,000 students across its 250-acre campus. Khan, a longtime critic of the governing Bharatiya Janata Party and co-founder of the opposition Samajwadi Party, has faced numerous legal challenges since the BJP came to power in the state in 2017. He is currently serving a sentence related to remarks made during the 2019 elections.
University leadership contests the demolition order, arguing that the campus in Singankhera village fell under jurisdiction of the Rampur Development Authority only from September 2024, years after construction commenced. Vice Chancellor Zaheeruddin stated that approvals from various government bodies had been obtained at the time of construction and that the move violates constitutional education rights. District officials maintain that regulatory violations cannot be regularized and that demolition is the only legal remedy.
The planned demolition has galvanized opposition beyond the campus. Students, alumni, and residents have maintained an indefinite sit-in since July 15, while opposition parliamentarians visited to express support. More than one-third of the student body identifies as Hindu, challenging characterizations of the institution as exclusively serving Muslim populations. Female students, comprising nearly half enrollment, cited safety concerns as reasons for selecting the institution.
Critical observers have linked the demolition order to broader patterns, noting that since 2014, authorities have conducted numerous demolitions affecting properties, mosques, and shops, with rights groups contending these disproportionately impact Muslim communities. Opposition figures characterize the university demolition as politically motivated vendetta against Khan and a minority institution, while government representatives defend the action as enforcement of construction regulations.
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