Delhi Gymkhana Club seeks urgent meeting with government after eviction notice

The Centre has ordered Delhi Gymkhana Club to hand over its Safdarjung Road premises by June 5. The move has triggered questions from the club, talk of legal action and anxiety among over 600 employees.

In Short

• Club governing council seeks urgent clarification, meeting with ministry officials
• Government invokes lease clause saying full premises would vest upon re-entry
• Members call the decision shocking and indicated independent court action

The Delhi Gymkhana Club has moved swiftly to seek clarity from the Centre after receiving an eviction order asking it to hand over its sprawling 27.3-acre premises in Lutyens’ Delhi by June 5 for “defence infrastructure and public security purposes”.

In an official communication to its members on Saturday, the club said it received a letter dated May 22 from the Land and Development Office (L&DO) under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, seeking “re-entry and resumption” of the Safdarjung Road premises.

The club said its Governing Council held an urgent meeting following the “sudden development” and decided to immediately respond to the L&DO, seeking clarification on several issues linked to the order. “The immediate priority of the club is to ensure that its operations continue without dislocation,” the communication said, adding that it has also sought an urgent appointment with officials of the ministry.

CENTRE CITES DEFENCE, SECURITY NEEDS

The Centre on Friday ordered the elite club to return the land, saying the premises were “critically required” for strengthening and securing defence infrastructure and other vital public security purposes.

Located at 2, Safdarjung Road, the club occupies one of the most strategically sensitive land parcels in the national capital, adjacent to the prime minister’s residence on Lok Kalyan Marg and surrounded by key government and defence establishments.

In its order, the L&DO said the land was essential to fulfil “urgent institutional needs, governance infrastructure and public-interest projects”, along with the resumption of adjoining government properties.

Invoking Clause 4 of the lease deed, the government said the President of India, through the L&DO, was determining the lease and ordering immediate re-entry of the premises.

The order stated that the entire 27.3-acre plot, along with all buildings, lawns, structures and fittings, would vest with the government upon re-entry.

The club has been directed to hand over peaceful possession of the premises on June 5, failing which possession would be taken “in accordance with law”.

MEMBERS CALL MOVE ‘SHOCKING’, LEGAL CHALLENGE LIKELY

Several members described the order as a “shock” and indicated that it may be challenged in court. One member, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the club’s current affairs are being managed by a government-appointed committee following earlier intervention by authorities, making it unlikely that the management itself would legally contest the order. “Members will have to move court independently if they want to challenge the government’s decision,” the member said.

The development has also drawn political reactions. AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj criticised the move, saying different sections of society were now increasingly feeling the impact of state action.

Capt S Seshadri, president of the Madras Gymkhana Club, termed it “sad” for an institution of such stature to face such uncertainty. Another member questioned the security rationale behind the move, pointing out that the nearby Indira Gandhi Memorial receives thousands of visitors daily.

CLUB HAS LONG HISTORY IN DELHI

Founded during the British era in 1913 as the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club, the institution was later renamed after Independence.

Its present Safdarjung Road complex was designed in the early 1930s by architect Robert Tor Russell, who was also associated with the design of Connaught Place and Teen Murti House.

Over the decades, the club evolved into one of Delhi’s most exclusive institutions, frequented by senior bureaucrats, diplomats, military officers, politicians and business leaders.

The tussle between the Centre and the club is not new. In 2022, the National Company Law Tribunal allowed the government to take over the management of the club, citing alleged financial irregularities and violations of company law.

UNCERTAINTY LOOMS OVER 600 EMPLOYEES

The order has also triggered anxiety among nearly 600 employees working at the club. Staff members said they had not yet received any formal briefing from the management regarding their future after June 5.

“There has been no formal meeting with employees so far. Most of us are still waiting for clarity on what happens to our jobs,” an employee said.

Workers associated with the club for years said the abrupt nature of the order had left them unsettled. A gardener who has worked at the club’s tennis lawns for 17 years said he learnt about the development while carrying out routine maintenance work.

A club official said an immediate shutdown of such a large and historic institution would not be “practically feasible” without a transition plan.

- Ends
With PTI inputs