The nearly century-old Race Course Mosque in the Indian capital, New Delhi, is facing the threat of possible demolition.
New Delhi: The nearly century-old Race Course Mosque in the Indian capital, New Delhi, is facing the threat of possible demolition. A video circulating on social media shows Imam Muhammad Haroon breaking down in tears and praying after Friday prayers, while other worshippers silently join him in prayers for the mosque’s protection.
In the video, elderly Imam Muhammad Haroon appeals to Allah for help, saying, “O Allah, help us. You are our only hope, and our faith is being put to the test.” Worshippers stand silently alongside him. The footage also shows men and women praying for the mosque’s survival and the restoration of their dignity.
According to Indian media reports, the Race Course Mosque is housed in a building nearly 100 years old and was notified as a Grade-II heritage structure in 2009. The mosque is located within the Race Course Club premises, near the official residence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The club occupies an area of approximately 53 acres. Reports say that following multiple legal proceedings, efforts to remove the club and the shanties in its surrounding area are underway.
According to the reports, the Indian government has cited national security as a basis for taking possession of the area. The Land and Development Office (L&DO) has also put up a notice declaring the mosque premises to be government property and warning that any activity there could be treated as encroachment. Barriers have been erected in the area, and security personnel have been deployed. Outsiders, particularly members of the media, are reportedly being denied entry. Imam Muhammad Haroon said L&DO officials had given him six days to vacate the mosque premises and warned that legal action could follow if the site was not cleared within the stipulated period. According to the report, the mosque’s electricity and water supplies were disconnected on October 7.
A report stated that on October 15, the Delhi High Court declined to order the restoration of electricity and water supplies to the mosque. The New Delhi Municipal Council told the court that demolition operations were underway in the area, including the removal of shanties, and that the process could cause harm to the public. The council also argued that the Land and Development Office, which is responsible for overseeing the demolition operation and taking possession of the land, had not been made a party to the petition.
In its observations, the court noted that the Delhi Waqf Board, identified as the original occupant of the premises, had not challenged the disconnection of electricity and water. The court further observed that Imam Haroon, who had been appointed by the Waqf Board, had no independent right to the premises and therefore could not claim that the disconnection of utilities violated his fundamental rights. As the Race Course Mosque issue has attracted national attention, Asaduddin Owaisi, president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), has urged Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to intervene immediately in the proposed demolition.
According to reports, Owaisi said the Delhi Waqf Board had been inactive since 2023 and that its chief executive officer could also have intervened, but no such action had been taken.
Indian media reports have also documented demolition operations targeting mosques or parts of mosques in several areas during September and October, including Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, Shalimar Bagh in New Delhi and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Authorities have cited road-widening projects, the removal of encroachments from government land and court orders to justify these actions. According to Indian media, the Modi government issued orders during September for the complete or partial demolition of at least seven mosques in different areas. Now, the historic Race Course Mosque in New Delhi is also facing the prospect of demolition. Following the administration’s notice to vacate the premises and the disconnection of water and electricity supplies, questions have been raised by various social groups about the future of the historic mosque.
