Federal authorities reportedly served a six-day eviction notice to a historic mosque near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence in New Delhi, cutting off its water and electricity supplies and sparking concern from Muslim leaders and academics.
Land and Development Office Notice Targets Masjid Race Course
The Land and Development Office (L&DO) of the federal government served an eviction notice on October 19 to the historic Masjid Race Course, a structure situated in Lutyens’ Delhi near the high-security official residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Imam Maulana Mohammad Haroon, who has served at the mosque for four decades, stated that L&DO official Kunal Bhaskar arrived with two police officers and ordered him to clear the premises within five to six days, warning that authorities would demolish the building.
The mosque spans two bighas of land and is registered with the Delhi Waqf Board. According to the imam, the structure can accommodate roughly 800 worshippers, with Friday congregational prayers regularly drawing around 400 attendees alongside daily visitors from nearby settlements. However, authorities cut off the mosque’s electricity and water connections on October 7, leaving the imam living in darkness without drinking water while worshippers stay away out of fear. Political and community figures have pointed out that the historic mosque is protected under the Places of Worship Act, 1991, while asserting that the facility stands on waqf property rather than government land.
“The authorities came and suddenly told us we had less than a week to clear out a structure that has stood for generations,” the mosque’s imam or chief cleric, Imam Maulana Mohammad Haroon, said. “Even drinking water has been stopped. By cutting off light and water, they are forcing people away from a sacred place of worship before the legal timeline has even expired.”
Imam Maulana Mohammad Haroon, Imam
Jurisdiction Disputes and Court Petitions
The eviction order has triggered fierce debate over property jurisdiction and land status. Legal representatives and community organizations maintain that the L&DO holds authority exclusively over central government and Nazul land, whereas the mosque stands on designated Waqf property. The Delhi Waqf Board challenged the eviction order, pointing out that the mosque and its adjacent graveyard appear as a protected religious endowment in the government’s Delhi Gazette dating back to September 1977. The site is also listed among heritage properties in New Delhi Municipal Council records. As reported by The Tribune, a delegation headed by general secretary Maulana Mohammad Hakimuddin Qasmi presented a memorandum asking for his intervention to save both the mosque and the neighboring graveyard.
Imam Haroon stated that he pleaded with the waqf board to move court against the notice, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. Inamurrahman Khan, assistant secretary looking after waqf affairs for Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, criticized the waqf officials operating under the Delhi state administration for failing to defend the property.
Muslim Bodies Mobilize as Political Outrage Grows
Prominent Islamic organizations have mobilized quickly to halt the impending demolition. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind submitted a formal appeal to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, urging him to issue urgent directions restraining the L&DO from causing demolition.
Political figures and community analysts have linked the eviction notice to a broader pattern of pressure against Islamic heritage sites across India. University of Delhi academic Sabur Ali cautioned that recent demonstrations initially demanded the resignation of Election Commission of India chief Gyanesh Kumar over anxieties regarding the revision process that has eliminated millions of individuals from electoral rolls, specifically impacting Muslims. Data compiled by Millat Times revealed that a six-year period saw the destruction of Muslim religious sites during clearance campaigns, followed by additional mosque demolitions.
All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat former president Navaid Hamid condemned the move on social media, writing that In New India, ancient mosques are targets to erase Muslim history and demoralise Muslims.
