New Delhi, November 15: The Delhi High Court, hearing a plea filed by the Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) challenging the Centre's order asking it to vacate the Herald House in Delhi has maintained the status quo in the case and given the Gandhis- Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi interim relief in the case. The court has fixed November 22 as the next date of hearing.

Talking to the media outside the court, the counsel for Gandhi said that Congress leader and noted lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued for the Congress for close to two hours. Tushar Mehta, representing the Central government in the case, asked for time to reply to the arguments given by the counsel of Rahul and Sonia Gandhi. The Delhi High Court subsequently said that it would hear the case on November 22.

The AJL, which publishes the National Herald newspaper, has alleged that the government's order dated October 30 was illegal, unconstitutional, arbitrary and a deliberate attempt to suppress and destroy the legacy of the first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

AJL had been publishing the newspaper for the last several decades. Although there was a brief temporary suspension due to financial trouble, the formal newspaper and digital media operations had fully resumed. The Centre, on October 30, had issued the order to vacate the house on the grounds that lease conditions were violated. (With Agency Inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 15, 2018 01:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).