Delhi's historic Race Course mosque gets six-day eviction notice
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has urged the government to protect the mosque and restore its electricity and water supplies as authorities dispute its legal status.
A historic mosque near Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official residence in New Delhi has been ordered to vacate within six days after the Land and Development Office (L&DO) declared the premises "unauthorised", prompting Muslim organisations to seek government intervention to prevent its possible demolition.
The eviction notice was issued on 19 October, according to The Tribune. The mosque, known as the Race Course mosque, is listed in the New Delhi Municipal Council's (NDMC) heritage register. Its representatives also say its electricity and water supplies have been disconnected, reports The Wire.
The L&DO maintains that the mosque stands on government land, while its representatives and Muslim organisations have challenged the authorities' position, citing the site's heritage status.
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Jamiat seeks government intervention
A delegation of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind met Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on 19 October and submitted a memorandum seeking protection for the mosque and an adjoining graveyard.
The organisation said the site appears on the NDMC heritage list referenced in the 1977 Delhi Gazette and in a revised list maintained by the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
Jamiat has sought reports from the Delhi Waqf Board and the NDMC and urged the authorities not to demolish the mosque until the legal dispute is resolved. It has also called for the restoration of electricity and water supplies and access for worshippers.
According to Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, Rijiju heard the delegation's concerns and assured it that he would make "every possible effort" to address the matter.
Imam alleges Waqf Board inaction
Mosque imam Mohammed Harun alleged in a video statement that he had been raising the issue with the Delhi Waqf Board for six months but had received no effective assistance.
He said the board had written to the NDMC over the disconnection of utilities but had not approached the court. Harun also alleged that the closure of access routes had made it difficult for worshippers to reach the mosque and obtain drinking water.
The imam maintained that the mosque is a recognised heritage property and said a 2021 survey had not identified it as an unauthorised structure or encroachment. These claims have not been independently verified.
Dispute amid wider eviction drive
The dispute comes amid wider eviction proceedings in the Race Course Road area, near the prime minister's official residence.
According to The Hindustan Gazette, the Delhi High Court on 19 October allowed civic authorities to proceed with the eviction of slum dwellers in the area. The proceedings include provisions for education, transport and sanitation facilities at Savda Ghevra, a resettlement colony around 45km away.
The mosque's immediate future remains uncertain as the dispute over its land status and heritage recognition continues.
