Meerut, July 17 -- A controversy escalated on Thursday a day after the Rampur Development Authority (RDA) ordered demolition proceedings against 38 buildings at Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar University-the dream project of former Uttar Pradesh minister and jailed senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan-as political voices denounced the move while the fate of nearly 3,000 students of the university hung in the balance as the institution confronted what is arguably the gravest crisis in its history. Faced with demolition notices covering the overwhelming majority of its campus, fresh legal action over alleged fire safety violations, and the escalating political confrontation, the university now finds itself fighting for its very existence. As a political storm brewed, the opposition parties-Samajwadi Party and Congress- attacked the government, while the ruling BJP counter-attacked the Opposition over the demolition issue. At the centre of the controversy is the RDA's claim that of the university's 40 buildings, only two possess legally approved construction maps, while the remaining 38 have been declared unauthorised and are liable for demolition. The university also faces allegations of fire-safety violations. The decision was taken after district magistrate Ajay Kumar Dwivedi rejected the university management's explanation during a personal hearing. The Rampur Development Authority has given the institution 15 days to remove the allegedly unauthorised structures, failing which it will carry out the demolition. "As per rules, the institution has been given 15 days to demolish the illegal constructions on its own, failing which the RDA will undertake the demolition," Dwivedi said. According to the authority, nearly 82,309.80 square metres of construction was carried out without approved building plans. The RDA has issued a notice to the Jauhar Trust, directing it to remove the structures within an extended 15-day period, failing which demolition proceedings will begin under the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973. Azam Khan's wife Tazeen Fatima visited Jauhar University on Thursday and became upset after seeing police personnel stationed inside the university campus. "We have 15 days' time to respond to the charges against us. In such a situation, the police and the administration cannot forcibly occupy the university premises like this. The entire action is being carried out with malicious intent and out of vendetta," she said. Tazeen Fatima asked the police personnel deployed at the university to leave the campus. After that, she went to her office inside the university, where she met with the university management and Samajwadi Party leaders. During the meeting, they reportedly discussed the strategy to challenge the RDA move. They also deliberated on legally challenging the DM's order in court. The university's sprawling campus comprises academic blocks, hostels, laboratories, libraries and professional institutions. The controversy took shape after authorities scrutinised construction records and concluded that most buildings lacked approved maps, zoning clearances and statutory sanctions. While the trust managing the university has argued that construction commenced when the land fell outside the RDA's jurisdiction and approvals had been obtained through the zila panchayat, the authority has maintained that the buildings were erected without valid permissions from the competent authority. Additionally, a statewide fire safety audit, launched following the devastating coaching centre fire in Lucknow that claimed 15 lives, exposed multiple deficiencies at Jauhar University. Fire department officials reportedly found that several campus buildings lacked mandatory fire safety equipment and compliant emergency exit routes. A notice seeking an explanation within seven days was served on the university, but officials say no response was received within the stipulated period. The Rampur district administration is now preparing to initiate legal proceedings over the alleged violations. Rampur district magistrate Ajay Kumar Dwivedi held discussions with the Moradabad-based Guru Jambheshwar University regarding the possibility of relocating students should circumstances warrant such a move. Vice chancellor Prof Sachin Maheshwari confirmed that consultations had taken place and that preparations were underway to accommodate Jauhar University students through colleges affiliated with Guru Jambheshwar University. A decision is expected shortly. Jauhar University offers undergraduate programmes in arts and commerce, alongside courses in engineering and medicine. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav accused the Bharatiya Janata Party government of viewing even education through a communal lens. In a post on X, he questioned why the government was targeting educational institutions while allegedly ignoring illegal structures linked to its own supporters. "When will the BJP demolish the illegal structures belonging to its unregistered associates? If the associates themselves are unregistered, how can their buildings, offices, and institutions be considered legitimate?" Yadav wrote on X. Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai alleged that the action against Jauhar University was intended to divert public attention from controversies surrounding the Ram Mandir. He claimed that the demolition notice and other recent government decisions were politically motivated distractions from larger issues confronting the state government. Defending the government's position, deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak said the administration remained committed to enforcing the law uniformly and would not permit any illegal activity. In a fresh development, the Uttar Pradesh public works department (PWD) has declared the main road passing through Jauhar University campus as a public road and erected signboards at the university's main gate stating that it is open for public use. The university was envisioned as a dream project by its founder Mohammad Azam Khan, who served as lifetime chancellor and his son, Abdullah Azam Khan, as pro-chancellor of the university. Earlier this year, Khan and his family formally stepped down from the university's governing trust. The institution is named in honour of Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar (1878-1931), an illustrious Indian freedom fighter, scholar, poet, and journalist born in Rampur. He served as the national president of the Indian National Congress in 1923 and spearheaded the historic Khilafat Movement alongside Mahatma Gandhi. Azam Khan and his son, Abdullah Azam Khan, have been lodged in jail since November 17, 2025. The father-son duo were taken into custody directly from a Rampur courtroom after being convicted and sentenced to 7 years in prison for a dual PAN card forgery case (Azam Khan's prison term was later extended to 10 years by a sessions court in May 2026). Azam Khan: Around 77 cases remain pending against him before the Rampur court alone, out of an overall lifetime history of over 100 registered cases. Abdullah Azam Khan: Around 40 cases remain pending against him before the court. Azam Khan: He has been convicted in eight cases, including convictions for hate speech, the fake birth certificate case, a dual PAN card forgery case, and a May 2026 conviction involving derogatory "shoe" remarks. Abdullah Azam Khan: He has been convicted in three cases so far. These include the 2023 fake birth certificate case, the November 2025 dual PAN card forgery case, and a December 2025 fake passport forgery case....