Now Reading: Centre orders Delhi Gymkhana Club to vacate premises by June 5
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Centre orders Delhi Gymkhana Club to vacate premises by June 5
The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has ordered the 107-year-old Delhi Gymkhana Club to hand over its 27.3-acre leasehold premises at Safdarjung Road by June 5, citing the need to secure…
The Story in Brief
The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has ordered the 107-year-old Delhi Gymkhana Club to hand over its 27.3-acre leasehold premises at Safdarjung Road by June 5, citing the need to secure defence infrastructure and other vital public security purposes. The club, located next to the Prime Minister's residence in Lutyens' Delhi, is run by a government-appointed committee.
The club's management has sought an urgent appointment with ministry officials and plans to write to the Land and Development Office seeking clarity on the eviction order. Some members have said they will challenge the order in court, arguing they cannot expect the current government-appointed management to do so. The move follows similar eviction notices to the Delhi Race Club and Jaipur Polo Ground.
The Indian Opinion
This is less a security panic than a property dispute dressed up, and the government's own appointed committee running the club makes the eviction order look convenient. It is easy to rail against 'the elite', but the lease is a contract. If the Centre can cancel it unilaterally for a Lutyens' club, what stops it from doing the same to a school, a hospital, or a temple on leased land tomorrow? Watch for the number: whether the club's members, not the management, will file their own suit and get a stay before June 5.
Sources (2): millenniumpost.in, livelaw.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
