Jauhar University protest grows as Opposition, farmer leaders, influencers reach out

Meanwhile, granting interim relief to the university, the Moradabad Divisional Commissioner on Monday stayed the demolition order “until further orders”.

Jailed former UP minister and veteran Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan is chairman of the Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust.

Congress UP president Ajay Rai with the protesting students at Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur on Monday. (X)

While separate delegations of over 30 Samajwadi Party MLAs and 10 MPs reached the university campus in the last few days to extend their support to the students, the party also staged a statewide protest against the move on Monday.

In Rampur, Maulana Iqbal Ali, president of the party’s minority wing, also joined the protesting students.

Congress state president Ajay Rai also reached the university on Monday in support of the students. On Sunday, Congress leader and former MP Danish Ali had extended support to the protesters.

Also, Azad Samaj Party chief and MP Chandra Shekhar Azad not only extended his support to the protest but also warned Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to be ready for large-scale protests if the administration went ahead with the demolition orders.

“We will not allow them to spoil the future of 3,000 students of the university. The government’s fight could be with Azam Khan but why take revenge at the cost of the students’ future,” he said, adding, “I want to tell the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister that if they demolish the university then roads of UP would not remain empty.”

Tazeen Fatima, the wife of senior SP leader Azam Khan, who is the Chancellor of the university, also sat on a protest on Monday against the administration’s move.

The protesting students said they submitted a memorandum to Rampur District Magistrate Ajay Kumar Dwivedi seeking to reconsider the demolition order.

However, the Moradabad Divisional Commissioner on Monday stayed the demolition order until further orders.

“In the memorandum dated July 26, addressed to the RDA, the students expressed concern over the demolition notices issued for 38 university buildings and the sealing of several structures. We have pointed out that developments had created uncertainty among students and could adversely affect education and future of students,” said Shaqib Ali, a second-year LLM student, who is one of those leading the delegation. He has also been part of the protest at the gates of the university since July 18.

The students raised three key demands in the memorandum, he said. “We sought immediate withdrawal of the demolition notices issued by the RDA, stating the action should be kept in abeyance so that classes and academic activities continue uninterrupted. Secondly, the sealed buildings be reopened without delay as the university administration has already deposited the prescribed fees, fines and other dues, and therefore there is no justification for keeping the buildings sealed.”

Another student, Iqra, who is also sitting on the protest, alleged, “Police had reached at the homes of some students and requested our parents to ask us to return from the protest. We also complained about this during our visit to the District Magistrate on Sunday,”

The students added that if their concerns were not addressed on time, they would be compelled to launch a bigger agitation to safeguard their academic interests.

Speaking to The Indian Express, a member of the Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust that runs the university, said that in their plea before the Divisional Commissioner and the court, they have sought to cancel the order stating any law or guideline is not implemented retrospectively, which is being done in this case. “Since the construction of the buildings had taken place much before the area came under the jurisdiction of the Rampur Development Authority, they cannot implement the law retrospectively,” the member said.

Senior officials in the administration maintained that since the hearing of the Trust’s petition is due on Tuesday and also the case will be heard in the High Court, further action will be based on the outcome of the pleas.

On Monday, Anjaneya Kumar Singh, Moradabad Divisional Commissioner who also serves as the chairman of the RDA, stayed the demolition order granting interim relief to the university after Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust filed an appeal in his court. The appeal was listed for hearing on Tuesday.

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

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