Rampur nawab alleges that 450 bigha land has been usurped by Azam Khan’s pet project Maulana Ali Jauhar University, run by a trust set up by Azam himself. Azam denies it, saying it is a Cong conspiracy to defame him.
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Urban Development Minister Mohd Azam Khan’s pet project Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur has landed in a fresh controversy with Congress MLA from Rampur Nawab Kazim Ali Khan alleging that ”enemy property” has been grabbed for a private trust that has set up the university.
The university, which was granted the status of a minority institution by the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) on May 28, was set up in 2006 by Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan and has been into many controversies, including Azam’s appointment of himself as lifelong chancellor of the university and land acquisition.
During the previous Samajwadi Party regime, the state Assembly had passed a Bill in 2004 to establish it as a state university and make Azam pro-vice chancellor for life. However, following objections by the then Governor, T V Rajeshwar, the Bill was withdrawn and later, another Bill was passed for establishing the university as a private one.
The University was formally inaugurated by Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on September 18 last year in the presence of top leaders of the state.
Rampur MLA Nawab Kazim Ali Khan also known as Naved Mian, is the son of Muhammad Zulfikar Ali Khan alias Mickey Mian, the erstwhile Nawab of Rampur. He told mediapersons in Lucknow that there was about 450 bigha land of enemy property which Azam Khan wished to include in Maulana Ali Jauhar University, run by a trust set up by Azam himself. “The said land is in fact already within the premises of the university,” alleged Nawab Kazim Ali, who is the MLA from Swar Tanda constituency in Rampur.
The MLA said that he came to know about this from an RTI query, adding that he had written to the Custodian of Enemy Property at Mumbai in this regard. By enemy property is meant such property that was left behind by people who moved to another country, especially during or after the Partition in 1947.
The MLA said the Rampur district administration planned to auction the land after failing to acquire the land directly. He added that he too had approached the administration for participating in the auction, but it was not received.
He demanded an inquiry into the matter and also accused the minister of getting historical buildings demolished.
“As per the provisions any building which is more than 100 years old is considered to be a historical building and cannot be razed down, but Azam is getting these places demolished,” he alleged.
A Rampur businessman Faisal Khan Lala, who accompanied the Congress MLA, alleged that his two plywood factories had been closed down and fruit trading licence cancelled at the behest of Azam in Rampur.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued here Azam said that allegations against him were “baseless, misleading and far from the facts”. He also rubbished the allegations of Faisal Khan, saying that the district administration might have taken action against him because of his involvement in land grabbing in Rampur.
Ratan Mani Lal
