Delhi Gymkhana members to move court against Centre's eviction order

Members of the Delhi Gymkhana Club launched a signature campaign to authorise legal action against a Centre order to vacate its premises by June 5.

To file a petition in court challenging the Centre's order directing the Delhi Gymkhana Club to vacate its premises in Lutyens' Delhi by June 5, members of the historic club on Sunday launched a signature campaign to authorise legal action against the move.

Brigadier Harinder Pal Bedi (retd), a long-time member of Delhi Gymkhana, said that the members met on Sunday and signed an authorisation letter to file a petition against the order on Monday.

''Several members of the club have signed the plea, and more are expected to sign it by tonight. The club has been an important part of our lives for decades, and the order has come as a shock to many of us,'' Bedi said.

The Delhi Gymkhana, where the city's powerful and elite rubbed shoulders for nearly a century, is staring at a possible closure with the Centre asking it to return its expansive 27.3 acres by June 5 on grounds of ''securing defence infrastructure''.

The club said it received the notice on May 22 from the Land and Development Office (L&DO) under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, seeking ''re-entry and resumption'' of the 27.3-acre land parcel, which is located on 2, Safdarjung Road, adjacent to the prime minister's residence on Lok Kalyan Marg.

General P K Sehgal (retd), who has been associated with the club since 1972, said that the members have unanimously decided to challenge the eviction order legally.

''Several former presidents of India, senior military officers, politicians and bureaucrats have been members of Delhi Gymkhana over the years. It is one of the most prestigious clubs in Delhi, and the sudden decision to take it back has raised concerns among the members about its future and where the club will be shifted,'' he said.

In its order, the L&DO said the site falls within a highly sensitive and strategic area and is urgently required for institutional and governance-related purposes.

''The entire land parcel, along with all buildings, structures, lawns and fittings, would vest with the government upon re-entry, with possession scheduled to be taken over on June 5,'' it said.

Originally founded on July 3, 1913, as the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club, the institution was established to serve colonial administrators and military officers.

The word 'Imperial' was dropped after India gained Independence in 1947, while the existing structures were constructed in the 1930s.