Centre orders Delhi Gymkhana Club to vacate Safdarjung Road premises by June 5

The Centre has ordered the Delhi Gymkhana Club, an exclusive members-only club on a 27.3-acre plot at 2, Safdarjung Road, to hand over its premises by June 5. The Land and Development Office (L&DO) under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs issued the order on May 22, stating the land in a highly sensitive zone is needed for strengthening defence infrastructure and other vital public security purposes.

The club, founded in 1913 as the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club, was designed by architect Robert Tor Russell, who also designed Connaught Place and Teen Murti Bhawan. The order has triggered debate. Some call the club a colonial-era vestige, while others argue its history and heritage should be preserved without bias, Millennium Post reports.

The nearly uninterrupted legacy of over 110 years, which defined wealth and power, now faces an uncertain end. The club's membership includes the who's who of society, and its property features a ballroom, swimming pool, and tennis courts. The next step is the June 5 deadline set by the L&DO for the club to vacate.