New Delhi

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday termed as "perverse" the order for demolition of 38 buildings of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Uttar Pradesh and urged the administration not to destroy a functioning educational institution that the state needs.

The Rampur Development Authority has ordered the demolition of 38 buildings at Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur, founded by jailed Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, saying they were constructed without approval of the building plan.

The university has argued that the area was outside the RDA's jurisdiction when the buildings were constructed, a contention rejected by the authority.

In a post on X, Tharoor said, "Bulldozing 38 out of 40 buildings of Mohd Ali Jauhar University, in a state with a dearth of quality institutions of higher education, is a perverse decision."

Bulldozing 38 out of 40 buildings of Mohd Ali Jauhar University, in a state with a dearth of quality institutions of higher education, is a perverse decision. If construction was illegal, find other punishments — fines, other punitive measures, even government takeover — but do…

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) July 22, 2026

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"If construction was illegal, find other punishments -- fines, other punitive measures, even government takeover -- but do not destroy a functioning university that UP needs!" the MP from Thiruvananthapuram said.