On Saturday, the civic authorities in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam demolished the compound wall of the Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM) University.
According to a report by Hindustan Times, Revenue officials and policemen reached GITAM campus on Saturday morning with a JCB vehicle and demolished the compound wall standing on the retrieved land. The Visakhapatnam district revenue officials maintained that the wall of the University and Medical College was constructed on the 40.51 acres of government land which it had allegedly encroached upon during the previous Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government.
According to the official, there was resistance from the management of the college, but the revenue department officials convinced the GITAM officials that the land had been in encroachment for a long time.
GITAM was set up in 1980 by M.V.V.S. Murthi, who perished in a road accident in 2018 in Alaska. A senior Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader, Murthi was elected to the Lok Sabha twice (1991 and 1999). GITAM group of institutions have expanded widely with large campuses in Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, starting from schools to post graduate courses.
After the demolition, the TDP slammed the ruling YSRCP. The party's general secretary Lokesh Nara, son of former CM Chandrababu Naidu, alleged that Chief Minister YS Jagan gets ‘kick’ by demolishing properties.
"GITAM Hospital provided services during Corona despite many difficulties. The destruction of GITAM University, which has taught people for many years and many reached high positions after studying here. It’s a reflection of Jagan Reddy's miserable condition. The demolition carried out without given any notice.’’ alleged Lokesh.
While, TDP national spokesperson Pattabhi Ram Kommareddy termed the demolition of the Visakhapatnam-based GITAM University’s compound wall as an act of revenge.
The Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM) is being run by TDP leader M. Sri Bharat, who is a relative of former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. "This is an act of revenge by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. It happened at midnight on Friday. Reddy and Vijay Sai Reddy's madness is increasing," he lashed out.
Kommareddy said the ruling party leaders do not care about the problems being faced by the people or their welfare. "On one hand, floods and heavy rains have caused acute loss in multiple districts and they are not doing any work on that front. They are focusing all their time on these revenge activities. I do not know what to call them, whether human or what," he assailed.
