Uttarakhand: ‘Muslim University’ Genie Out of Bottle Again Ahead of 2027 Assembly Polls

Dehradun: In the run-up to the Assembly polls scheduled in early 2027, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has again brought out the genie of a non-existent ‘Muslim University’ in Uttarakhand as part of its anti-Muslim rhetoric, which has been built up carefully by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in the past over five years of his rule.

Interestingly, it was the fear of a ‘Muslim University’ and other anti-Muslim rhetoric by BJP to create a fear psychosis among the majority Hindu community of the state that the ruling party managed to win the 2022 Assembly polls despite changing three Chief Ministers to curb the anti-incumbency and misgovernance factors.

It was for the first time in the history of Uttarakhand that such a brazen anti-Muslim and communal poll campaign was launched by the BJP and Sangh Parivar. A false and baseless narrative was created that the main opposition, Congress, was helping Muslims in getting settled in the hills of Uttarakhand.

To top it all, an innocuous statement by a small time Congress worker seeking establishment of a ‘Muslim University’ in west Dehradun, where Muslims have a sizeable number, was magnified by the BJP-RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) machinery and social media platforms, projecting it as an attempt by former Congress Chief Minister Harish Rawat, who was spearheading the party’s campaign, to establish a ‘Muslim University’.

The photo of Rawat was morphed and he was shown in a long flowing beard resembling Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, the founder of Aligarh Muslim University. The social media post was removed from the BJP’s official handle following a directive by the Election Commission on a complaint by Congress, but the damage was done.

Facing multiple challenges of governance and widespread outrage over the Ankita Bhandari murder case, Chief Minister Dhami has once again decided to pull out the genie of ‘Muslim University’ as part of the BJP’s election strategy, besides other anti-Muslim rhetoric aimed at communal polarisation, as was done successfully in the 2022 Assembly polls.

This time, BJP is focusing on the land purchased in 2005 by Shiekhul Hind Educational and Charitable Trust in Dholas village in Dehradun west. But despite the media blitzkrieg, the balloon of BJP’s propaganda was punctured by Sujata Paul, a veteran social activist. Giving facts and figures of the case, she refuted the claims of the Dhami government on unearthing a ‘big scandal’ of ‘Land Jehad’ and demographic change.

Paul said it was during the tenure of the first elected government, headed by N.D. Tewari, that a massive exercise to develop infrastructure, institutions and industrialise and invite investment was undertaken, and many institutions were allowed to buy land, including many schools.

She said Sheikhul-Hind Educational Charitable Trust, a charitable organisation, had sought the Uttarakhand government’s permission to buy 20 acres to open a school. The state government gave permission on March 15, 2004 under the land law. Using this permission, the trust bought 15.19 acres within the allowed time, before September 14,2004. The Trust, later, requested the government for more time to buy the remaining land. The state government gave an extra four months through an order dated January 18, 2005. The Trust did not buy any land during this extra time, she added.

On November 15, 2006, the government cancelled the earlier permission and said that the land bought by the Trust now belonged to the state. Giving reasons for the cancellation, the government said that the permission was valid only for 180 days, and the rules clearly do not allow extra time. It also cited security concerns related to the Indian Military Academy.

The Trust challenged this decision in the Uttarakhand High Court arguing that the government acted unfairly and cancelled the permission without giving it a chance to be heard. The Trust also said that the permission was cancelled after the land had already been legally bought. The government defended its decision in court.

The High Court examined the rules and noted that the Trust had already bought 15.19 acres within the allowed time limit of 180 days.

Since no land was bought during the extended period, the Court said there was no violation of the rules. It said the government cannot cancel the permission for land that was legally purchased on time. The Court also said the government was wrong to cancel the permission without hearing the Trust.

The Court made it clear that the law about land automatically going to the State did not apply in this case. On June 8, 2010, the High Court partly ruled in favour of the Trust. The Court declared that the purchase of 15.19 acres was legal and valid. It cancelled the government’s order dated November 15, 2006, but only for the land bought within 180 days.

The Court said the government could still decide separately whether construction is allowed because of security reasons. If construction is not allowed, the Trust can sell the land with government permission.

The earlier temporary court order dated November 29, 2006, was cancelled. In 2016, the Trust wrote to the administration seeking permission to sell the land. The administration responded that the land was agricultural and its land use could not be changed.

Paul further said that the Sheikhul Hind Educational Trust gave power of attorney to one Raees, who allegedly sold the land in small plots. The first registry was done in 2016. At that time, Uttarakhand was under Governor’s Rule, followed by the formation of a BJP government in 2017.

The land was bifurcated in smaller plots and sold to 165 people. “Interestingly, contrary to the false propaganda of BJP-RSS of ‘Land Jehad’ and demographic change in the case, all the buyers are Hindus including ex-servicemen teachers and employees,” said Paul showing a list of the plot owners to the media.

But, a few days ago, Chief Minister Dhami announced that the “scandal” of the Congress to have a ‘Muslim University’ had been “busted” and his government would be taking over the land. This was projected as a major issue, maligning the Congress party in the media. Vinod Chamoli, a BJP legislator and party spokesman, held a press conference accusing the Congress party of giving land for a ‘Muslim University’.  

A team of administrative and revenue officials visited the land parcel for measurement. K.K. Mishra, Additional District Magistrate (revenue and finance) visited the land and said the land was not used for the purpose for which it was purchased and a joint team of police, forest and revenue departments would inquire. He said that initially permission was given for sale for only agricultural purposes but the owners sold it in 15 big plots which were later sold as smaller plots. The Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) had acted against the plotting by destroying boundary walls and put up a board warning general people against buying the agriculture land for residential purposes.

The writer is a senior freelance journalist based in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.