Lucknow: Congress’s Uttar Pradesh in charge, Rajendra Pal Gautam, alleged that the state govt’s actions against Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar University amounted to an assault on education, democratic values and the legacy of the freedom struggle.Gautam on Tuesday met the university’s vice chancellor, Prof Zahiruddin, and reiterated his party’s opposition to the proposed demolition of 38 buildings on the campus.Describing Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar as a freedom fighter, journalist and educationist who championed Hindu-Muslim unity, Gautam said the university represented his vision of education as a force for nation-building.He also alleged that the administration attempted to obstruct his visit by deploying police and creating hurdles, but said such measures would not deter the party. “The voice of ideas cannot be silenced by barricades, police or the pressure of power,” he said.Gautam asserted that the Congress would not allow any harm to come to the university and would continue to oppose the proposed demolition.
