The Delhi High Court has sought the Centre’s response to a plea seeking protection of the Race Course mosque inside the Jaipur Polo Ground complex from demolition and restoration of access, water and electricity to the place of worship.
Justice Anish Dayal issued notice on Tuesday while hearing a petition filed by worshipper Syed Ahmed Saud. The court asked counsel for the Centre to obtain instructions by Thursday, setting the next immediate step in the legal challenge concerning the mosque’s status and essential services.
The petition seeks protection for the mosque and restoration of access to it. The plea also raises the disconnection of water and electricity supplies, which the petitioner says has affected the functioning of the place of worship within the complex.
During the hearing, counsel appearing for the Centre told the court that the premises housed both a mosque and a temple. The Centre’s counsel also said that no demolition was underway at the mosque, according to the report submitted to the court.
The Centre’s counsel further told the court that electricity and water supplies to the mosque had earlier been disconnected as a precaution while demolition of other structures in the Jaipur Polo Ground complex was being carried out. The statement placed the services issue in the context of wider work involving other structures on the premises, while the court’s notice keeps the mosque’s protection and access claims under consideration.
The Delhi Waqf Board’s counsel told the court that representations had been made to the Land and Development Office and other authorities regarding the matter. The involvement of the Waqf Board brings the administration of the mosque together with the role of central land authorities responsible for the relevant government premises.
The hearing does not amount to a final ruling on whether the mosque will be protected from demolition or whether its services must be restored. The court has, at this stage, sought the Centre’s response and directed its counsel to return with instructions.
The dispute highlights how changes within centrally administered urban compounds can affect access to places of worship and the continuity of basic services. It also places the management of structures within the Jaipur Polo Ground complex before the court, alongside the competing administrative responsibilities of the Centre, the Land and Development Office and the Delhi Waqf Board.
The Centre’s response is expected to be placed before the Delhi High Court on Thursday, when the court is scheduled to consider the matter further.
