Johar University, which is called the dream project of senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, is now in trouble. Rampur Development Authority (RDA) has ordered the demolition of 38 buildings of Mohammad Ali Johar University, saying they were built without approved maps. According to RDA, the map of only two buildings of Johar University, Academic Building and Medical Building, is valid.
The foundation of Johar University was laid in the year 2006. It has been established by Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust. Gradually medical colleges, engineering, education, agriculture, libraries, hostels and other academic buildings were built here. Since its foundation, this university has been surrounded by controversies regarding land allotment, lease, waqf property and construction permission. After the BJP government came to power in 2017, the action regarding this intensified. Many cases related to this reached Allahabad High Court and later Supreme Court also.
- 2019 Lok Sabha elections: Azam Khan had used the word ‘tankhaiya’ for the then District Magistrate (DM) and other government employees during the Lok Sabha election campaign and had said that after the elections, he would get his shoes cleaned by these officials. This statement was considered inflammatory speech and a violation of the code of conduct.
- 2022 assembly elections:Senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan was in the news for the first time for the year 2022 for contesting elections from jail. By winning this election, he was elected MLA from Rampur for the 10th time.
- 2024 Lok Sabha elections: Due to Azam Khan’s choice, Samajwadi Party has fielded its sitting MP from Moradabad, S.T. Hasan’s ticket was canceled and Ruchi Veera was made the candidate. Due to this change, there was a lot of tussle within the party. Apart from this, 5 to 6 months before the assembly elections, he was also sentenced in the case of fake birth certificate of Abdullah Azam.
- Before the 2026-27 assembly elections:The issue of action and illegal construction on Jauhar University again became a part of political debate. At present, Azam Khan is in jail. But politics has started in Uttar Pradesh regarding the demolition of Jauhar University, which is called his dream project.
How many times has Azam Khan been MLA and MP from Rampur?
Azam Khan had entered politics in the last year of the 70s. He became MLA for the first time in 1980 on Janata Party (Secular) ticket. In the year 1993, he joined Samajwadi Party and became a minister in Mulayam Singh Yadav government. He handled important departments like urban development, parliamentary affairs and minority welfare several times in the Uttar Pradesh government. He was MLA from Rampur for about 10 times. Was MP from Rampur twice.
He became MLA by winning from Rampur in the assembly elections of 1980, 1985, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2002, 2007, 2017, 2022. However, his 10th term legislative membership ended after he went to jail. Azam Khan was elected MP from Rampur Lok Sabha seat twice. He was elected MP from Rampur for the 16th Lok Sabha in 2014 and 17th Lok Sabha in 2019.
In which cases is Azam Khan lodged in Rampur jail?
Azam Khan is currently serving a 10-year sentence in Rampur jail for possessing dual PAN cards. At the same time, his son Abdullah Azam is also imprisoned along with his father in the same case. He has been sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment. The MP-MLA court of Rampur has sentenced him to 2 years of jail and a fine of Rs 5,000 for making indecent remarks against officials and calling them ‘tankhaiya’ during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Apart from this, the MP-MLA court had also sentenced Azam Khan to 10 years imprisonment on charges of demolition and looting of houses of the poor to build ‘Aasra Housing Scheme’ in Dungarpur, Rampur. However, in September 2025, Allahabad High Court stayed this sentence and granted him bail. Currently, Azam Khan is in the news about his biggest and dream project.
How influential is Azam Khan in Uttar Pradesh elections?
Azam Khan remained among the most influential leaders of Muslim politics for a long time. After 2019, political influence declined due to many criminal cases, jail and legal disputes. But even now it has not completely ended. Azam Khan has direct influence on 5 assembly seats of Rampur district (Rampur Sadar, Suar, Chamraua, Bilaspur and Milak). Apart from this, his rallies and speeches also have a big impact in about 10-12 other seats of neighboring districts like Moradabad, Sambhal and Muslim dominated areas of Bareilly.
This clearly means that Azam Khan can still single-handedly influence the results of 17 to 18 seats. Apart from this, he still has a hold on the traditional Muslim vote bank. This is the reason why despite discussions about bringing in new Muslim faces and Azam Khan’s distance from the party, Akhilesh Yadav did not allow him to leave the Samajwadi Party. He is still counted among the biggest Muslim faces of any party in entire UP. However, due to being in jail and being involved in legal matters for a long time, his organizational position in the Samajwadi Party has weakened.
What message does the government want to send by breaking the Jauhar?
Through the bulldozer action on Johar University, the government wants to establish in the minds of the general public that this construction is illegal and the law applies equally to everyone. This is the reason why Rampur Development Authority had argued for the action. The matter is completely illegal construction and approval of building map. The action is being taken under law and urban development rules.
Will the issue of Jauhar University give sympathy to Azam Khan and SP?
However, if bulldozer action is taken on Johar University, Azam Khan and Samajwadi Party may try to take advantage of it. In fact, the Samajwadi Party may try to show that the educational institution is being targeted. Azam Khan is being deliberately harassed continuously. Pressure is being put on minority institutions. Minorities are being suppressed.
Samajwadi Party will definitely try to keep Muslim votes united through this attitude. Samajwadi Party would not like to allow these votes to be scattered towards other parties including BSP, due to which it would suffer loss in the elections. In such a situation, Azam Khan can bring this vote bank in favor of SP by creating sympathy for himself in the Muslim community.
Azam Khan has always been an issue in UP politics
However, if the round of allegations and counter-allegations starts in the case of Johar University, then a situation of polarization of votes may arise. BJP can take advantage of this. Anyway, in every last election, Azam Khan has remained a hot topic in UP politics. Be it his statements or the actions taken against him. Azam Khan has always been an issue in UP politics.
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