The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Friday, 17 July called on the Uttar Pradesh government and the Rampur Development Authority (RDA) to immediately withdraw demolition notices served against 38 buildings of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur, founded by jailed Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan. The board described the proposed action as vindictive, disproportionate, and contrary to the nation's educational interests.

What the AIMPLB Said

Board spokesperson S.Q.R. Ilyas stated that the demolition drive targets not just a single institution but the broader educational advancement of the Muslim community. He argued that institutions built through years of public sacrifice and sustained effort are being systematically targeted through administrative and legal mechanisms. The AIMPLB characterised the move as reflecting political vendetta against Azam Khan.

Ilyas also urged the authorities to resolve any legal or technical disputes through dialogue rather than demolition, emphasising that even if procedural deficiencies exist, they are addressable through due legal process.

The University's Defence

The RDA has claimed that 38 of the university's 40 buildings were constructed without obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals. The AIMPLB, however, rejected this characterisation. According to the university administration, the structures were built at a time when the area did not fall within the RDA's jurisdiction — meaning, the board argued, there was no legal obligation to seek building-plan approvals from the authority at the time of construction.

Broader Stakes for Education

The AIMPLB warned that demolishing 38 buildings of a university built over years, with substantial public investment and community support, would constitute an irreversible loss to the country's educational infrastructure. 'Such an action would not merely affect one institution or one community; it would inflict irreparable damage on the nation's educational assets,' Ilyas said.

Notably, this controversy unfolds against the backdrop of heightened scrutiny of bulldozer-led demolitions across several BJP-governed states, a practice that has drawn repeated challenges in the Supreme Court. Critics argue that such actions disproportionately target minority-linked properties and political opponents.

Background and Context

Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, established by Azam Khan in Rampur, has long been a flagship project of the veteran SP leader, who has been in judicial custody on multiple cases. The university, spread across a large campus, was built with donations and community contributions over several years. The RDA's demolition notices, covering 38 of 40 buildings, represent one of the most sweeping regulatory actions against any single educational institution in recent Uttar Pradesh history.

With the AIMPLB now formally intervening and the matter likely to reach the courts, the UP government's next move will be closely watched by legal observers and minority rights groups alike.