Hundreds of people in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, are holding a sit-in demanding withdrawal of an order to demolish 38 buildings at Mohammad Ali Jauhar University. On July 15, the Rampur district administration declared 38 of the 40 buildings on the 250-acre campus illegal and instructed the university to demolish them at its own expense by August 5. It warned that government bulldozers would be used if the deadline was not met.

The state administration has issued an interim stay on the Rampur Development Authority order, but Vice-Chancellor Zahiruddin said it only extended time and did not cancel the order. Samajwadi Party legislator Javed Ali Khan described the move as political retaliation. BJP state spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi rejected that allegation, saying the action was a normal legal process against construction on illegal land and outside approved plans.

The university was founded in 2006 through the efforts of Azam Khan and has about 3,000 students. Nearly half are women, while more than one-third are from the Hindu community. Students and local residents continue their protest, and students say they will pursue legal and social efforts to protect the campus.