Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday laid the foundation stone of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh State University in Aligarh.

The university is being established by the Uttar Pradesh government in the memory and honour of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh, the great freedom fighter, educationist and social reformer. It is being set up in a total area of over 92 acres at Lodha village and Musepur Kareem Jarouli village of Aligarh's Kol tehsil.

The university will provide affiliation to 395 colleges of the Aligarh division.

The Yogi Adityanath government's decision to set up the university after the noted Jat figure is being politically seen as part of the ruling BJP's bid to win over the community ahead of the crucial state assembly polls early next year.

A section of Jats, who live in sizeable numbers in western Uttar Pradesh, is seen to be aggrieved with the BJP over the issues of farmers.

The prime minister also visited exhibition models of Aligarh node of the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor.

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma briefed Modi about the upcoming university.

UP Governor Anandiben Patel was also present on the occasion.