LUCKNOW, July 18 -- The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Friday termed the demolition order for Jauhar University in Rampur an "attack on an educational institution", saying the move was aimed at diverting people's attention from the donation theft issue in Ayodhya.

"At 11 am on July 15, Rampur Development Authority (RDA) officials held a meeting and decided that the maps were not approved. At 4 pm the same day, a 17-page order to demolish 38 buildings on the campus was issued. The fact is that the campus was built at Singan Kheda village in 2005, and the area did not come under the RDA's jurisdiction until 2024. Then how could the maps have been approved?" UP Congress president Ajay Rai said at a press conference.

"If they (the government) do...