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Trouble likely for Azam as probe ordered into Oriental College row
Madarsa education board chairman had in January written to the governor, seeking to restore the college’s old glory and expose how Azam allegedly conspired to take over the old institution spread over 2 acres of land by misusing his powers during the Samajwadi Party regime
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LUCKNOW More trouble may be in store for senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan as UP governor Anandiben Patel on Monday directed officials to conduct probe into the controversy related to the 240-year-old Rajkiya Oriental College in Rampur that was taken over by the Jauhar Trust headed by Azam on a lease of ₹30 per year.
Uttar Pradesh Madarsa Education Board chairman Iftikhar Ahmed Khan had in January written to the governor, seeking to restore the college’s old glory and expose how Azam Khan allegedly conspired to take over the old institution spread over 2 acres of land by misusing his powers during the Samajwadi party regime.
“Additional chief secretary to the governor, Mahesh Kumar Gupta, has written to ACS (higher education) to conduct inquiry and take action. I have received the copy of the letter,” said Iftikhar Ahmed Khan.
He said, “I wrote to the governor about the 240-year-old Government Oriental College (Madarsa Alia) in Rampur, which has been a centre of spiritual, Arabic, Persian studies recognized by Jam-ul-Azhar University of Egypt, Aligarh Muslim University, Jamia Milia Islamia University, Delhi and the UP Board. The biggest feature of the college, which made it different from others, were the subjects taught here. These included Arabic literature, Quran, Hadith, Fiqh, Usule Fiqh (jurisprudence and principles of jurisprudence), mantik (logic), ilmul kalam (reasoning), riyaji (mathematics), tathiyat (physics) and ilm (Chemistry) etc.”
He said, “Scholars like Shibli Naumani, Abdul Aziz Menon, Allama Fazle Haque Rampuri and others have been products of the college. But today this institution is on the verge of extinction – all teachers of this college have retired, while the remaining staff will also retire by 2024. Its building was occupied by the Jauhar Trust in 2016 on a lease of ₹30 per year.”
Iftikhar Ahmed Khan added, “Government Oriental College in Rampur is currently functioning from the campus of Government Raza Inter College, Rampur which has only two rooms and one verandah in which 53 students/girls are getting education. But in the absence of staff, no students from classes 9 to 12 are admitted. We want to restore its old glory and the inquiry will expose how Azam Khan conspired to take over the old college by misusing his powers in the Samajwadi party regime.”
