Rampur, 17 July

The Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, founded in Uttar Pradesh by jailed Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan, has been asked by the Rampur Development Authority on Wednesday to demolish 38 of 40 buildings on its campus under the 1973 Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act, reported PTI. 

According to PTI, Rampur District Magistrate Ajay Kumar Dwivedi said that a report by the regional junior engineer claimed that the buildings were unauthorised. The university needs to carry out the order within 15 days, otherwise the administration will undertake the demolition, per The Indian Express.

At a personal hearing on 15 July, university management argued that the buildings did not require approval as they were not under the jurisdiction of the Authority before 27 September, 2024. It also said that the buildings had been constructed much earlier, and new rules could not be applied to them. 

However, the Authority said that the management had taken permission for two buildings from the district administration which meant that it was aware of the need for approval, and had still constructed the other buildings without permission.

Khan and his family resigned from the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, which operates the university, in January.

SP spokesperson Juhie Singh told The Indian Express that the order was part of a "targeted campaign" against Khan.