MEERUT, July 19 -- Protests erupted at the Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur on Saturday as students demonstrated against demolition orders issued for 38 buildings on the campus, while the political controversy intensified after local MP and Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Maulana Mohibullah Nadvi was denied entry into the university premises. The university, regarded as the dream project of jailed senior SP leader Azam Khan, is managed by the Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, of which Khan is the chairperson. Students gathered on the campus demanding that authorities revoke the demolition order, saying the future of thousands of students was at stake. "We are sitting here for the rights of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University because this is about the future of thousands of students like me. It should not be ruined. We want the demolition order to be withdrawn. That is our primary demand," one student protester said. The students highlighted the university's role in providing affordable education, claiming it offers substantial fee concessions to economically and socially disadvantaged students. "The biggest thing is that we get fee concessions here. Students from SC/ST backgrounds receive a 50% concession. Those who have lost their parents also get a 50% concession. There are many professional courses such as BPharma and DPharma that may not be available to us elsewhere," another student said. The protests came days after the Rampur Development Authority (RDA) issued notices directing the university to remove 38 of the 40 buildings that it described as "unauthorised." The RDA alleged that the structures had been constructed without obtaining permission from the competent authority. It granted the university 15 days to voluntarily remove the buildings, warning that the administration would carry out demolition if the order was not complied with. The demolition order was issued by RDA vice-chairperson and Rampur district magistrate Ajay Kumar Dwivedi under Section 27 of the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973. Dwivedi said the decision followed a detailed hearing, examination of records and review of the applicable legal provisions. Meanwhile, the political row escalated further when Rampur MP Maulana Mohibullah Nadvi arrived at the university but was stopped at the main gate by security personnel. According to sources, security staff prevented the MP from entering after learning about his visit. Nadvi held discussions with officials stationed at the gate and also spoke over the phone with individuals inside the campus. However, permission to enter was not granted. Nadvi left after waiting at the entrance for nearly 30 minutes without being allowed inside. Speaking to reporters later, the SP MP said he had come to the university carrying a message from party president Akhilesh Yadav regarding the demolition orders. "The university is meant to educate children from all religions. If any mistakes were made during its establishment or operation, they should be given an opportunity to rectify them. The demolition order is wrong," Nadvi said. He declined to comment on reports of strained relations between himself and Azam Khan's family. Saturday's developments intensified political speculation over the reported long-standing distance between Nadvi and Azam Khan's family. Political observers point out that during the Lok Sabha elections, Azam Khan, who was barred from contesting following his conviction in a criminal case, had reportedly suggested to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav that a member of the Mulayam Singh Yadav family should contest from the Rampur parliamentary constituency. However, the party instead nominated Nadvi, a native of Rampur who had previously served as an imam at a mosque in Delhi. Nadvi subsequently won the election. Despite his victory, political observers have maintained that Nadvi never established close ties with Azam Khan's family. His inability to gain entry into Jauhar University on Saturday has further fuelled speculation that the estrangement between the two sides continues, even as the battle over the future of the university gathers political and legal momentum....