University of Lucknow Issues ₹50,000 Bonds Notice to 13 Students Over Namaz at Lal Baradari

Lucknow: Thirteen students of the University of Lucknow have been served notices asking them to submit a personal bond of ₹50,000 along with two sureties of ₹50,000 each for allegedly offering namaz at Lal Baradari, a structure on the university campus that has recently been sealed.

The action follows a challan report filed by Hasanganj Police Station. The report stated that offering prayers at the site had created tension on campus and that there was a possibility of disturbance to public peace in the future. Based on this, the Executive Magistrate directed the students to furnish the bonds as a guarantee of maintaining peace and law and order for one year.

The notices come amid ongoing protests by student groups after the university administration fenced off Lal Baradari, a Mughal-era structure located within the campus. The administration cited safety concerns, saying the building is in a dilapidated condition.

Student organisations have alleged that the fencing has effectively restricted Muslim students from offering prayers at the site during Ramzan. However, university authorities have denied that the move was aimed at curbing religious practices.

Protests began on Sunday after Zuhr prayers, when fencing work started under heavy police presence. Members of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha gathered near the structure, terming the action “unauthorised” and demanding restoration of access.

NSUI leader Ahmad Raza said students have been offering namaz at the site for years. He acknowledged that a portion of the building is damaged but claimed that the area used for prayers remains intact. He added that students have urged the administration to reopen the hall, invite the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for inspection, and make the findings public.

Another student leader, Mahendra Yadav, alleged that the closure curtailed religious access and raised concerns about constitutional rights.

Videos circulating online show students offering prayers while others formed a human chain around the structure. Student leaders described the gesture as a message of communal harmony, noting that some students also broke their fast outside the building.

University authorities, however, rejected claims of religious discrimination. Proctor Dr Rakesh Dwivedi stated that Lal Baradari has been structurally unsafe for years and that fencing was put up only to prevent entry into a dangerous building. He said the administration was not aware of any mosque functioning inside the premises and that previous facilities housed there, including a bank and a canteen, had been relocated around 2017–18 due to safety concerns.

Dwivedi also confirmed that the university has been in communication with the ASI and other agencies to preserve the structure as a heritage site. He added that police deployment was requested as a precaution after information was received that fencing work might face resistance.

Meanwhile, student protests continue, with demonstrators seeking clarity and a formal explanation from the university administration. Some students have also linked the developments to the recent campus visit of Mohan Bhagwat, which had earlier sparked protests.