A delegation of 10 Samajwadi Party (SP) Members of Parliament visited Rampur on Saturday and met District Magistrate Ajay Kumar Dwivedi, urging the administration to withdraw the demolition order issued against Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar University.
The MPs also visited the university campus, where students have been protesting for the past eight days against the proposed demolition of 38 buildings.
Iqra Hasan vows to protect Jauhar University
Addressing students outside the university, SP MP Iqra Hasan said the party would oppose any attempt to demolish the institution.
“I assure the people of Rampur and Azam Khan that Jauhar University will not be allowed to fall. If needed, we will stand in front of every brick, but we will not let anything happen to it,” she said.
Calling the institution an important educational centre, Hasan added, “Jauhar University was built by Azam Sahab. We will demand from the District Magistrate that it should remain and no harm should come to the university.”
SP leaders threaten legal action
Moradabad MP Ruchi Veera described the university as a “temple of education” and said the demolition order should be withdrawn.
“We will not let Jauhar University be demolished at any cost. If the District Magistrate does not listen to us, we will approach higher authorities. If needed, we will also move the court,” she said.
Sambhal MP Ziaur Rahman Barq also criticised the order, saying it should be withdrawn.
“The order to demolish the university is wrong. I will raise this issue in Parliament whenever the House functions,” Barq said.
Memorandum submitted to District Magistrate
After meeting students, the SP delegation reached the District Magistrate’s office and submitted a memorandum demanding that the demolition order for 38 university buildings be withdrawn.
Heavy security arrangements were made around the Collectorate and Jauhar University, with police personnel from multiple police stations deployed in the area.
The delegation included MPs Iqra Hasan, Ziaur Rahman Barq, Ruchi Veera, Javed Ali Khan, Mohibullah, Neeraj Maurya, Ramjilal Suman, Rajiv Rai, Virendra Singh Malik and Ram Shiromani Verma, along with several senior party leaders. Former Maharashtra SP president Abu Asim Azmi was also part of the delegation.
Demolition order under challenge
The protest comes after the Rampur Development Authority (RDA) ordered the demolition of 38 out of 40 buildings at Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, alleging that they were constructed without approved building plans. The university has been given 15 days to comply with the order.
The university’s chairperson and trustee, Nikhat Aflaq Khan, has challenged the demolition order before the Moradabad Divisional Commissioner. The appeal is scheduled to be heard on July 28.
Earlier this week, another SP delegation led by Leader of Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey and 25 MLAs also met the District Magistrate before visiting the university and meeting Azam Khan’s family.
The Samajwadi Party has maintained that demolishing Jauhar University would affect thousands of students and harm an important educational institution, while the administration has said the action is based on alleged violations of building regulations.
