Staff Reporter / New Delhi
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has strongly condemned the demolition notice issued by the Rampur Development Authority (RDA) for 38 buildings of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, describing the move as “biased, vindictive and unjust.” The Board has urged the Uttar Pradesh government to immediately halt the proposed action and withdraw the demolition notice.
In a statement issued on Friday, AIMPLB spokesperson Dr. Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas said the action was not merely directed against an educational institution but also against the educational advancement of the Muslim community. He alleged that while governments have failed to adequately address the educational backwardness of Muslims, institutions established through public effort and sacrifice are being targeted on administrative and legal grounds.
Dr. Ilyas claimed the proposed demolition reflected political vendetta against the university’s founder, Azam Khan, while also weakening educational opportunities for the Muslim community.
Rejecting the RDA’s allegation that 38 of the university’s 40 buildings were constructed without approval, Dr. Ilyas said the university administration maintains that the buildings were erected when the area did not fall under the jurisdiction of the Rampur Development Authority. Consequently, he argued, there was no legal requirement at the time to obtain building plan approvals from the authority.
He further stated that even if any technical or legal irregularities existed, they could be resolved through due legal process rather than demolishing buildings that had been developed over several years with substantial public support and financial resources.
Calling the proposed demolition “arbitrary and excessive,” the AIMPLB said the move would not only affect a single institution or community but would also inflict irreparable damage on the country’s educational infrastructure.
The Board appealed to the Uttar Pradesh government and the Rampur Development Authority to reconsider the decision, withdraw the demolition notice, address any legal issues through dialogue and due process, and ensure the protection of what it described as an important educational institution.
The demolition order has triggered a political controversy, with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and members of Azam Khan’s family criticising the administration’s action.
Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the BJP was targeting educational institutions, saying the ruling party viewed education through a communal lens.
Meanwhile, Azam Khan’s wife visited the university campus and reportedly confronted police personnel deployed at the site as tensions over the proposed action continued.