AMU says UP govt forcibly occupying land worth Rs 500 crore
Muslim properties, institutions face growing targeting under BJP rule
Aligarh: Aligarh Muslim University has accused the Uttar Pradesh government of forcibly occupying more than 3.8 acres of its land, valued at around Rs500 crore, in what highlights growing concerns over the targeting of Muslim properties and institutions in India.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the university said the civic authorities fenced the disputed property in Aligarh on August 20 and installed a board claiming government ownership, despite AMU possessing historical documents supporting its claim over the land.
The dispute concerns land associated with AMU’s Riding Field in the Bhamola Maafi-Nagla Patwari area. The civic body carried out the fencing following a revenue measurement and claimed that the property was recorded as government land in official revenue records.
AMU Vice-Chancellor Professor Naima Khatoon termed the action unwarranted and unacceptable, saying the university had legal documents dating back more than a century to establish its ownership. She said the university would challenge the action in court.
The university cited acquisition records from 1925 and 1940, besides a joint measurement report prepared in January 2022 that listed the disputed land as part of the Riding Field. AMU also alleged that its revenue records had been secretly altered in 1992.
AMU Proctor Naved Khan said the matter was pending before the local Sub-Divisional Magistrate, while the AMU Teachers’ Association announced that it would approach the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and, if necessary, the higher courts.
The development has raised wider concerns about the treatment of Muslim-owned properties, educational institutions and religious sites in BJP-ruled India, where Muslim communities have repeatedly alleged discriminatory administrative and legal measures targeting their properties and institutions.
Meanwhile, the District Magistrate has ordered maintenance of status quo and said both sides would be heard after examination of the relevant documents and revenue records.
The dispute has once again highlighted concerns over the protection of Muslim properties and institutions in India amid allegations that administrative and legal mechanisms are increasingly being used to undermine Muslim ownership and institutional autonomy.
