Story perspectives

Delhi Govt Orders Elite Gymkhana Club Vacate, Court Challenges

5/26/2026

Summary

Government Evicts Club

Government ordered the Delhi Gymkhana Club, founded in 1913 on 27 acres beside prime minister’s residence, to vacate for security and infrastructure.
A Delhi High Court petition claims the government seeks a 15-day takeover without due process.
A 900-page lawsuit asks the court to halt the coercive action, with a July hearing.
Members, senior officials, face a waiting list over 30 years, sparking debate on elite privilege on public land.

Summary

Government Evicts Club

The Union Government has ordered the club to vacate the reclaimed 27-acre plot by June 5 for incorporation into national defence infrastructure.
Officials say the site lies within a highly restricted administrative perimeter, making its occupation essential for central security planning.
The directive invokes sovereign powers of re-entry and property resumption under national security provisions.
Observers expect the club’s management to launch swift defensive litigation following the federal takeover.

Summary

Modi Seizes Club

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is pushing the government to seize the Delhi Gymkhana Club, citing urgent defence and security needs.
Party insiders cite internal disputes and alleged financial mismanagement while analysts say the move aims to weaken Congress-linked elite networks.
Founded in 1913 as the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club and originally barred to Indians, it later became a networking hub for politicians, senior bureaucrats, judges and business leaders.

History

Historical Context

In June 1975 Prime Minister Indira Gandhi persuaded President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed to proclaim a national emergency under Article 352, granting her sweeping powers and enabling the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) to detain 34,988 people. The emergency’s land-seizure precedent is echoed today as the Union Government cites national security to retake the Delhi Gymkhana site, reviving concerns over security-driven property grabs.

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Government Evicts Club

Government ordered the Delhi Gymkhana Club, founded in 1913 on 27 acres beside prime minister’s residence, to vacate for security and infrastructure.
A Delhi High Court petition claims the government seeks a 15-day takeover without due process.
A 900-page lawsuit asks the court to halt the coercive action, with a July hearing.
Members, senior officials, face a waiting list over 30 years, sparking debate on elite privilege on public land.

1 / 4