Even as the debate over the Centre’s takeover of Delhi Gymkhana Club land continues on social media, a similar case is now unfolding in the Delhi High Court, potentially reigniting concerns over the shrinking green spaces in the national capital.
The Delhi High Court on Monday came down heavily on the Centre over its plan to take over the Delhi Polo Club land for construction purposes, observing that the government was steadily encroaching upon the city’s remaining green spaces under the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area.
“Little breather we have in the NDMC area is also going to go and all of us are going to suffocate and die. God save us all if this is how you want Delhi to live,” remarked Justice Neena Bansal Krishna while hearing a plea filed by the Indian Polo Association challenging an eviction notice issued by the government.
The court noted that green cover in Delhi was already scarce and that even the “little green space” left in the NDMC area was now under threat.
The Centre’s standing counsel, Ashish Dixit, defended the decision, arguing that the land was required for public and defence purposes. He added that space in central Delhi was limited and that key government functions needed to be carried out from that area itself.
Meanwhile, the High Court disposed of the plea filed by the Indian Polo Association and directed the Patiala House Court to hear and decide its application seeking a stay on the eviction notice on Wednesday.
This case comes close on the heels of the Centre asking the century-old Delhi Gymkhana Club to vacate its 27.3-acre premises in the heart of Lutyens’ Delhi by June 5, citing its requirement for defence infrastructure and other official purposes.
The move triggered outrage among its members, which include retired generals, former bureaucrats, and Supreme Court judges, and also reignited a broader debate over colonial-era institutions that continue to exist in India.
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