A coalition of citizens has formally petitioned Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to halt the scheduled demolition of 38 buildings at Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur.
In its letter, the Citizens for Fraternity - Bharat (CFF-Bharat) urged the state government to prioritize the future of the students and explore regulatory remedies before taking irreversible action.
"While we fully respect the rule of law and recognize that all institutions must comply with statutory requirements, we humbly appeal that any action affecting an educational institution be guided by the principles of natural justice, proportionality, and the larger public interest," said the letter signed by Former Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung, former diplomat Ashok Sharma, industrialist Saeed Mustafa Shervani, senior business leader Navaid Khan and journalist Javed M.
Ansari, among others.
A university is not merely a collection of buildings; it is a centre of learning that serves thousands of students and contributes to the intellectual and social development of the nation, the letter said.
Any action that could disrupt the education and future of innocent students deserves careful reconsideration, it said.
"If there are legal or regulatory violations, we respectfully request that all available legal remedies, opportunities for rectification, and judicial processes be exhausted before any irreversible action is taken.
This would uphold both the rule of law and the constitutional values of fairness and justice," the letter said.
"As an organization committed to fraternity, dialogue, and national harmony, CFF-Bharat sincerely appeals to your government to adopt a compassionate and balanced approach that protects the interests of students while ensuring compliance with the law," it said.
The Rampur Development Authority (RDA) ordered the demolition of 38 buildings at Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, founded by jailed SP leader Azam Khan, saying they were constructed without approval of the building plan.
The university argued that the area was outside the RDA's jurisdiction when the buildings were constructed.
The authority rejected the contention, stating that approval from the competent authority was mandatory at the time of construction.
Established in 2006, the university has recently been at the centre of several legal disputes over alleged land encroachment and lease violations, with the Uttar Pradesh government reclaiming large portions of the property.
Earlier this year, Khan and his family formally stepped aside from the university's governing trust.
(With inputs from PTI)
