Eviction Notice to Race Course Mosque Near PM's Residence Sparks Row; Waqf Records and Current Status Explained
A notice asking authorities to vacate Delhi's historic Race Course Mosque within six days has triggered a controversy, with the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi voicing concern and urging the government to halt the action. The mosque, located near the Prime Minister's residence, is reportedly about 125 years old.
Delhi Waqf Board CEO Tanveer Ahmed said the mosque and an adjoining graveyard of roughly two bigha were notified as Waqf property through a Delhi administration gazette notification dated September 8, 1977. The site is also listed at serial number 22 in the NDMC heritage list and is registered on the UMEED portal.
According to the imam, no written eviction order has been issued so far, and only oral instructions were conveyed. Electricity and water supply to the mosque were reportedly cut on October 7, and access for namazis has been inconsistent, with outsiders reportedly barred until recently. The imam said he has served there for 40 years without complaint, and that the Waqf Board has written to the Land and Development Office, asserting ownership. He also pointed out that a survey conducted on October 29, 2025 by the SDM of Chanakyapuri made no mention of the mosque.
NDMC officials told PTI that the action extends beyond the mosque to several families living in the surrounding area. The LDO maintains the structure stands on central government land and treats it as encroachment, with residents offered alternative housing a few kilometres away.
