As expected, the authorities of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) authorities demolished the compound wall and a few other structures belonging to Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM) University at Rishikonda.
As reported in these columns, the state government has taken a series view of the official report that GITAM university was in possession of 40.51 acres of government land which it had encroached upon during the Telugu Desam Party regime.
The GVMC authorities took up the demolition of the structures after last midnight and razed them to the ground by Saturday morning, triggering protests from the college management, which said that the GVMC officials conducted the demolition work without issuing any prior notice.
As expected again, the demolitions triggered wild protests from Telugu Desam Party. Reason is obvious: GITAM University was promoted by former MP late M V V S Murthy and is presently managed by his grandson M Bharat, who contested as TDP candidate from Visakhapatnam in 2019 parliamentary elections. He is also son-in-law of Nandamuri Balakrishna.
TDP president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday strongly condemned the demolitions taken up by the state government at the GITAM University, saying that it was a clear act of vengeance against the political opponents in the State.
He said the matter was in court but the demolitions were initiated without waiting for the final verdict.
“The destructive attack on a noted educational institution would be a big threat to the future progress and prosperity of the State as a whole,” he said.
He also pointed out that the University had provided medical help to 2,590 Covid-19 patients by bearing crores of rupees losses. Such a noble educational institution became witness to thoughtless demolitions overnight by over 200 personnel. The one who cannot build has no right to demolish, he argued.
TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh also condemned the demolitions at GITAM University. The chief minister’s modus operandi was to create terror in the minds of all the people in Visakhapatnam and perpetrated his ruthless rule there, he said.
Meanwhile, BJP too condemned the action at the prime educational institution of the state. Party general secretary S Vishnu Vardhan Reddy condemns demolition drive at GITAM University, alleges in Past 17-month rule, Jagan had only worked on the agenda of ’destruction’.