Published : 25 Oct 2026, 12:35 AM
Updated : 25 Oct 2026, 12:35 AM
A historic mosque standing directly across from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence in New Delhi faces an imminent threat of demolition as part of a government clearance drive, The Independent reports.
The century-old Race Course Mosque, listed as a heritage site by the New Delhi Municipal Council and registered as a Waqf property since 1977, has had its electricity and water supplies cut off while authorities restricted access to worshippers.
The Land and Development Office under the federal housing ministry posted notices at the site declaring the land government property and warning against unauthorised occupation.
The clearance drive began in August with the demolition of the British-era Delhi Race Club. It has since expanded to raze nearly 700 nearby homes and shanties, displacing hundreds of families to resettlement colonies on the outskirts of the capital.
Government representatives cited national security concerns and the need to clear unauthorised structures near high-security installations as justification for taking over the land. A nearby Hindu temple is also feared to be under threat, as per The Independent.
Community leaders and political activists have rejected the security arguments, arguing the drive unfairly targets vulnerable residents and minority heritage.
Asaduddin Owaisi, a parliamentarian and leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen party, told the British publication that the situation serves as a "classic example" of how recent legislative changes to Waqf laws could be used to seize Muslim religious endowments.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have previously condemned India's growing trend of "bulldozer justice", which critics say disproportionately targets the country’s 200-million-strong Muslim minority.