Waqf Board seeks water, power restoration at Delhi Race Course mosque

The Waqf Board's letter to the L&DO said the Delhi Administration's Official Gazette notified the Masjid and Qabristan Race Course as a Waqf property on September 8, 1977.

New Delhi: The Delhi Waqf Board has formally sought restoration of water supply and electricity at the historic Race Course mosque located near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence.

The board’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tanvir Ahmad, in letters dated October 19 and 21, wrote to the Land and Development Office (L&DO) and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), urging them to restore the utilities so worshippers can continue offering prayers.

The Waqf Board’s letter to the L&DO said the Delhi Administration’s Official Gazette notified the Masjid and Qabristan Race Course as a Waqf property on September 8, 1977.

The development comes thirteen days after the mosque was served an eviction notice and after demolition work began around the premises, displacing hundreds of families.

The letter noted that, based on the available information, the mosque remains under direct board management and faces no legal proceedings.

Citing legal power connection records since 1976, the letter sought full restoration of both utilities, with a copy marked to the Ministry of Minority Affairs.

Imam alleges he was asked to vacate within 6 days

Although the eviction notice was served in early October, the issue came to light days later when a widely circulated video surfaced in which the mosque’s imam, Mohammed Harun, alleged that he was asked to vacate the space. He said the mosque’s electricity and water supply had been cut off, making it difficult for worshippers to continue offering prayers.

Harun, who claimed the mosque had always paid bills on time, said the Waqf Board did not respond to his correspondence.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Mujahideen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday, October 20, urged Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Minority Affairs, to urgently intervene in the proposed demolition of the mosque.

In a post on X, he accused the Delhi Waqf Board of not challenging the demolition order and of not resolving the matter despite the mosque being a registered waqf property.