Demolition drive near Modi's Delhi residence threatens historic mosque and temple

A demolition campaign in the vicinity of the prime minister’s official residence in Delhi is set to destroy the historic Race Course Mosque, a 19th-century structure protected as a heritage site by the New Delhi Municipal Council and registered as a Waqf property since 1977. The operation, which began with the razing of the colonial-era Delhi Race Club and about 700 slum homes, has also blocked access to a nearby Hindu temple, prompting protests from worshippers and activists.

Security personnel have installed gates and posted notices from the Land and Development Office stating the land is government property and any encroachment is illegal. The mosque’s long-time imam, Mohammad Harun, reports that electricity, water and sewerage have been disconnected and that he received only a verbal eviction warning. Human-rights groups such as Amnesty International condemn the pattern of “bulldozer justice” aimed at Muslim communities, while politicians like Asaduddin Owaisi warn the Waqf Amendment Act could facilitate the takeover of religious endowments. Displaced families have been offered flats in a resettlement colony 45 km away, far from their jobs and former community.