Rampur has turned into a fortress after the principal opposition Samajwadi Party gave a call to its supporters to march to Rampur on Thursday to protest against the detention of party MLA Abdullah Azam and raid on the Mohammad Ali Jauhar University run by Mohammad Azam Khan.
Though hundred of SP workers from adjoining Moradabad, Bijnore, Badaun and Amroha have reached Rampur late in the night, the district authorities have clamped Section 144 of the CrPC to prevent the SP workers in reaching the city. The police detained several hundred SP workers on the border of Rampur and were not allowing them to enter the district. District Magistrate A K Singh said here on Thursday that section 144 of the CrPC which prohibits assembly of more than five people in an area, is already in place due to Kanwar Yatra and Bakra Eid. “We’ve got additional forces, we’ll not let anyone enter from the border. Anyone who violates law and order will be dealt with strictness,” he said.
SP Ajay Pal Singh said that barricading has been done on the border of the district and the SP workers were being detained to maintain law and order. “We are ensuring that law and order prevails in the district. Over 800 personnel have been deployed, checking is underway on the border and other check points. No permission has been taken for any protest by the SP,” SP Pal said. SP leadership on Wednesday had given a call to the SP workers of the adjoining districts of Rampur to reach there to join a major agitation against the BJP government over the alleged harassment of Mohammad Azam Khan and his family by lodging fake cases.
Yesterday, the SP leaders, including some legislators, marched to the Rajbhawan in Lucknow from the party office and staged a protest over the alleged harassment of Azam Khan and his family members. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav is monitoring the situation of Rampur. Abdullah Azam, lawmaker from Suwar Tanda Assembly seat, was on Wednesday detained by the police for allegedly hindering investigation in a case related to stolen books. Abdullah was taken into police custody from Mohammad Ali Jauhar University premises in Rampur in the presence of senior police officials. Later, after his release from police custody, Abudullah sat on dharna in front of the Mohammad Ali Jauhar university. The police had raided the university premises on Tuesday and recovered over 2,500 books that were allegedly stolen from a 250-year-old madrasa in the city. The search for books continued on Wednesday and when cops reached the spot, Abdullah tried to intervene in the investigation. Rampur SP Ajay Pal Sharma said, ”MLA Abdullah Azam was trying to hinder the search operation of the police after which he was taken into custody. Around 2,500 books have been recovered.
The team was probing a case registered last month related to the theft of several books from the ancient Madrasa Aliya in Rampur. The recovered books are ancient and valuable, police said. Azam Khan is the founder and chancellor of the Mohammad Ali Jauhar University.
On Wednesday police also seized two tiger replica from the University campus which were brought from the Rampur club.
Investigation in the case began on June 16 after Zubair Khan, principal of Oriental College in Rampur, earlier known as Madarsa Aliya, lodged an FIR alleging over 9,000 books were stolen and taken to the library in Jauhar University. Speaking to the media, Abdullah termed the probe ”vendetta”. ”This is not an investigation. The state government is trying to finish an educational institution. They have no search warrant and everything is being done at the behest of the government.” Fifty boxes of 2,500 rare books with stamps have been recovered so far, a senior official said, adding that the probe in the matter is on. The recovered books are ancient and valuable, he added. (UNI)
