Race Course mosque eviction faces wider political opposition
The eviction notice served on Delhi's historic Race Course mosque has drawn objections from political and religious leaders, while Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind prepares to challenge the six-day deadline before the Delhi High Court.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi, Aam Aadmi Party legislator Amanatullah Khan and Kashmir's chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq raised concerns on Tuesday over the proposed action against the mosque near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg.
The Land and Development Office (L&DO) issued the notice on October 19, describing the premises as unauthorised and directing their vacation within six days. The department maintains that the structure occupies government land, while mosque representatives contend that it is a legally recognised Waqf property.
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind said it would approach the Delhi High Court to contest the notice. The organisation indicated that Shoaib Jamai, the AIMIM's Delhi president, was expected to pursue proceedings on behalf of the mosque committee.
The proposed litigation follows an earlier unsuccessful attempt to challenge the matter, which the organisation said was rejected because the petitioner lacked the appropriate standing.
Owaisi urged Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to intervene, questioning why the Delhi Waqf Board had failed to challenge the proposed action despite the mosque's claimed registration as Waqf property in 1977.
He also pointed to the absence of a constituted Delhi Waqf Board since 2023 and questioned why its chief executive officer had not taken steps to protect the property.
Owaisi argued that the mosque qualified for protection under provisions concerning Waqf properties established through longstanding religious use. His interpretation forms part of the dispute surrounding the amended Waqf legislation.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq described the six-day deadline as "deeply disturbing" and questioned the reported failure of Waqf authorities to defend the mosque.
He linked the controversy to his opposition to amendments governing Muslim religious endowments, particularly provisions expanding government involvement in their administration.
Amanatullah Khan, the Okhla legislator and former Delhi Waqf Board chairman, questioned the proposed eviction, citing the mosque's existence before Independence and its inclusion in the New Delhi Municipal Council's notified heritage list.
He said he had contacted the mosque's imam and intended to visit the premises.
The Jamiat delegation met Rijiju on Monday and submitted a memorandum seeking protection for the mosque and its adjoining graveyard. It requested restoration of essential services, unrestricted access for worshippers and intervention against demolition while the property's legal status remains contested.
The organisation also sought information from the Delhi Waqf Board and the New Delhi Municipal Council regarding the mosque's official classification.
Imam Mohammed Harun alleged that electricity and water connections had been disconnected and access to the mosque restricted. He said repeated approaches to the Waqf Board over six months had failed to secure effective assistance.
Harun, who has been associated with the mosque for nearly four decades, maintained that the building was legally established and should not be treated as an encroachment. He questioned the disruption of basic facilities before the dispute had been resolved.
The mosque's representatives have cited an entry in the 1977 Delhi Gazette to support their claim of Waqf recognition. They have also referred to a 2021 survey which, according to their account, did not classify the religious structure as unauthorised.
The New Delhi Municipal Council's heritage register contains an entry identifying the property as "Mosque and Campus, Race Course". However, the extent to which heritage recognition affects the land authority's eviction powers remains a matter requiring legal determination.
The notice also forms part of a wider land clearance dispute affecting a neighbouring settlement. The Delhi High Court has permitted authorities to relocate approximately 700 families from the area to Savda Ghevra, a government resettlement colony roughly 45 kilometres away.
The court directed that arrangements for education, transport and sanitation be provided at the relocation site. A six-week period allowed for vacating the affected area expired on October 6.
The proceedings concerning the settlement and the objections raised on behalf of the mosque involve distinct questions about occupation, land ownership and the legal protection available to the respective occupants.
The Jamiat has requested that no demolition-related action be undertaken against the mosque or its graveyard pending examination of the relevant documents and claims.
Its memorandum also asked the authorities to facilitate prayers and restore access to the premises. The mosque committee maintains that worshippers should be permitted to use the religious site while the dispute remains unresolved.
The adjoining graveyard is included in the organisation's request for protection, alongside the mosque building and its surrounding premises.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi, Aam Aadmi Party legislator Amanatullah Khan and Kashmir's chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq raised concerns on Tuesday over the proposed action against the mosque near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg.
The Land and Development Office (L&DO) issued the notice on October 19, describing the premises as unauthorised and directing their vacation within six days. The department maintains that the structure occupies government land, while mosque representatives contend that it is a legally recognised Waqf property.
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind said it would approach the Delhi High Court to contest the notice. The organisation indicated that Shoaib Jamai, the AIMIM's Delhi president, was expected to pursue proceedings on behalf of the mosque committee.
The proposed litigation follows an earlier unsuccessful attempt to challenge the matter, which the organisation said was rejected because the petitioner lacked the appropriate standing.
Owaisi urged Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to intervene, questioning why the Delhi Waqf Board had failed to challenge the proposed action despite the mosque's claimed registration as Waqf property in 1977.
He also pointed to the absence of a constituted Delhi Waqf Board since 2023 and questioned why its chief executive officer had not taken steps to protect the property.
Owaisi argued that the mosque qualified for protection under provisions concerning Waqf properties established through longstanding religious use. His interpretation forms part of the dispute surrounding the amended Waqf legislation.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq described the six-day deadline as "deeply disturbing" and questioned the reported failure of Waqf authorities to defend the mosque.
He linked the controversy to his opposition to amendments governing Muslim religious endowments, particularly provisions expanding government involvement in their administration.
Amanatullah Khan, the Okhla legislator and former Delhi Waqf Board chairman, questioned the proposed eviction, citing the mosque's existence before Independence and its inclusion in the New Delhi Municipal Council's notified heritage list.
He said he had contacted the mosque's imam and intended to visit the premises.
The Jamiat delegation met Rijiju on Monday and submitted a memorandum seeking protection for the mosque and its adjoining graveyard. It requested restoration of essential services, unrestricted access for worshippers and intervention against demolition while the property's legal status remains contested.
The organisation also sought information from the Delhi Waqf Board and the New Delhi Municipal Council regarding the mosque's official classification.
Imam Mohammed Harun alleged that electricity and water connections had been disconnected and access to the mosque restricted. He said repeated approaches to the Waqf Board over six months had failed to secure effective assistance.
Harun, who has been associated with the mosque for nearly four decades, maintained that the building was legally established and should not be treated as an encroachment. He questioned the disruption of basic facilities before the dispute had been resolved.
The mosque's representatives have cited an entry in the 1977 Delhi Gazette to support their claim of Waqf recognition. They have also referred to a 2021 survey which, according to their account, did not classify the religious structure as unauthorised.
The New Delhi Municipal Council's heritage register contains an entry identifying the property as "Mosque and Campus, Race Course". However, the extent to which heritage recognition affects the land authority's eviction powers remains a matter requiring legal determination.
The notice also forms part of a wider land clearance dispute affecting a neighbouring settlement. The Delhi High Court has permitted authorities to relocate approximately 700 families from the area to Savda Ghevra, a government resettlement colony roughly 45 kilometres away.
The court directed that arrangements for education, transport and sanitation be provided at the relocation site. A six-week period allowed for vacating the affected area expired on October 6.
The proceedings concerning the settlement and the objections raised on behalf of the mosque involve distinct questions about occupation, land ownership and the legal protection available to the respective occupants.
The Jamiat has requested that no demolition-related action be undertaken against the mosque or its graveyard pending examination of the relevant documents and claims.
Its memorandum also asked the authorities to facilitate prayers and restore access to the premises. The mosque committee maintains that worshippers should be permitted to use the religious site while the dispute remains unresolved.
The adjoining graveyard is included in the organisation's request for protection, alongside the mosque building and its surrounding premises.