Azam Khan’s UP university gets interim relief from bulldozer action

However, owing to court proceedings being affected by a condolence reference following the death of an advocate, the Trust moved an urgent application seeking interim relief. Sources said the Trust had apprehensions that the RDA might proceed with the demolition before the appeal could be heard. 

Hearing the application, Commissioner Singh directed that the demolition order passed by the Vice-Chairman of the RDA  shall remain in abeyance until further orders.

Meanwhile, the ongoing protest over the demolition notice gained significant traction as Opposition parties, farmer leaders and social media influencers have reached out to lend their support to the agitating students and teachers.

The protest started at the gates of university on July 18 with nearly 50 students sitting on an indefinite strike without much political support. But in the past few days, leaders of not just the Samajwadi Party but also from the Congress and Azad Samaj Party as well as farmer leader Rakesh Tikait and several social media influencers expressed solidarity with the protest.

With all but the medical college building and academic block to be spared, the demolition would virtually shut down the university, spread over 250 acres. Under the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, Azam Khan, who is the lifelong chancellor of the university, has had nearly a hundred cases registered against him, over 70 of them in 2019 alone, of which sources said nearly 30 are related to the university.

A senior official of the Trust, which runs the university, puts its student strength at about 2,400, enrolled in about 40 courses and diplomas, across 14 faculties such as science, law, humanities, commerce, Islamic studies, education, agriculture science, pharmacy. Most of the students are enrolled in professional courses such as paramedics and pharmacy. About one-third are women; a substantial number are Hindus.