In a major reprieve to the promoters of Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM) University, the Andhra Pradesh High Court directed the state government to stop the demolition drive against the varsity.

Hearing a petition filed by GITAM university promoter M Sri Bharat on Sunday, the High Court gave interim directions to the state government to stay the demolition proceedings against the university till November 30.

Sai Bharat is grandson of former TDP parliamentarian and founder of GITAM University late M V V S Murthy and also son-in-law of actor and TDP leader Nandamuri Balakrishna. He filed a House Motion petition contending that the state government undertook demolition of its campus without following due procedures. He argued in his plea that the state government took an overnight demolition drive without even serving a notice. The High Court posted the next hearing to November 30 until that time the state government cannot go ahead with the demolition of buildings within the GITAM University.

The GVMC on Saturday demolished the compound wall, security chamber, the entire compound wall of the engineering and medical blocks was razed to the ground and a few other structures of the Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM) University, a prestigious private university at Rishikonda in Vizag. The YSRCP government

The YSRCP government gave the go ahead to the GVMC to demolish the buildings in GITAM University on the ground that the university had encroached upon over 40 acres of government land which it had allegedly encroached upon during the previous Telugu Desam Party government. TDP president and former chief minister on Saturday came down heavily on the ruling YSRCP over the demolitions at GITAM University. Naidu had called the governance most destructive and an act of political vendetta.