National Herald
In picture: Several Congress leaders, including party vice-president Rahul Gandhi (second from right), formally relaunch the National Herald in Bengaluru on Monday, June 12, 2017.Twitter/OfficeofRG [Representational Image]

The Centre on Thursday gave an oral assurance to the Delhi High Court that it will maintain status quo till November 22 in the land lease matter of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the publisher of the National Herald newspaper.

The assurance by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was representing the Land and Development Office, came after Justice Sunil Gaur said he will hear the matter another day and the Centre shall maintain status quo till then.

The court listed the matter for further hearing on November 22.

The publisher had approached the high court on November 12 challenging the October 30 order of the Urban Development Ministry, ending its 56-year-old lease and asking it to vacate the premises in the press enclave at ITO here by November 15.