Deepak Kumar, better known as Mohammad Deepak, has urged the Yogi Adityanath government to reconsider the demolition order against Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur, saying most of the institution’s students come from poor families and the move would jeopardise their futures.
In a video released on July 26, Deepak appealed for action to save the university, arguing that graduates rely on the institution for upward mobility. “Children who pass out from here can hope for a better future. Therefore, it is highly important for us to come forward and save it from demolition,” he said.
The Rampur Development Authority on July 16 ordered demolition of 38 of the university’s 40 buildings, alleging they were constructed without required approvals and citing Section 27 of the UP Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973.
Established in 2006 by jailed former minister and Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, Mohammad Ali Jauhar University is a private institution with about 3,000 students, 16 departments across 14 faculties and institutes, roughly 55 academic staff and close to 1,000 employees. The university is listed by the University Grants Commission.