The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) on Wednesday moved the Andhra Pradesh High Court to halt the demolition of its office buildings in all district headquarters, initiated by the newly-formed Chandrababu Naidu government under the pretext of illegal construction.
The petition was filed by YSRCP’s Srikakulam unit, which received a notice from the state government on June 24 proposing to demolish the party office.
Justice B. Krishna Mohan of the state high court ordered a status quo on the demolition proceedings against the YSRCP office in Srikakulam.
He instructed the government pleader to obtain further instructions by tomorrow and maintained the status quo until then.
Senior counsel Veera Reddy, representing the party, argued that demolition is never the first resort. He stated that the land was leased to the YSRCP through a Government Order (GO) for 33 years, and the land was handed over to the party in 2022.
He added that the site was inspected and all necessary permissions were obtained before starting construction, thereby making it impossible to deem the construction illegal.
Reddy further cited Section 90-A of the Andhra Pradesh Metropolitan Region and Urban Development Authorities Act and Section 455A of the Municipal Corporation Act, 1955, which empower authorities to regularize construction. He emphasized that a demolition order should only be issued in exceptional circumstances.
He also brought to the bench’s attention a previous writ filed by the party for similar relief, wherein the TDP-led government was directed to demolish constructions only in accordance with the law.
"But, the very next day, the state illegally demolished another YSRCP office that was under construction," he stated.
