New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the execution of a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order for the demolition of ponds renovated by an NGO in the Braj area of Uttar Pradesh's pilgrimage town Govardhan.

A vacation bench of Justices L. Nageswara Rao and M.M. Shantanagoudar considered the appeal of an NGO, Braj Foundation, and stayed the NGT order. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the NGO, said a directive issued in public interest could not be "an anti-public order".

"The highest allegation against me (the Braj Foundation) is that I did not follow the procedure while undertaking the renovation work of the ponds," he said.

According to the lawyer, the NGT order was against public interest. "This is the wrong way of doing the right thing," Singhvi said, seeking a stay on the NGT order.

The Braj Foundation has challenged the NGT's May 24 order that had junked its plea to continue the work and had stated that the government should undertake the renovation instead. The NGO had on May 30 moved the apex court against the order. PTI