The Delhi High Court on Thursday declined to permit prayers at the Race Course Mosque while the Centre assured the court that the structure would not be demolished until a decision is taken on a representation submitted by the Delhi Waqf Board.
The matter was heard on a petition filed by Syed Ahmed Saud amid concerns over the possible demolition of the mosque. The Centre, represented by advocate Ashish Dixit, told a bench headed by Justice Anish Dayal that the government would decide on the Waqf Board’s representation within four weeks.
The assurance was submitted through an affidavit filed on behalf of the Centre. According to the submission reported by Jagran, no action would be taken against the mosque until the representation is considered and a decision is reached.
During the hearing, the petitioner sought permission for prayers to be offered at the mosque. The High Court, however, declined to pass an order allowing prayers at the site. The report does not state that the court issued any direction permitting regular or special access to the mosque.
The proceedings separate two issues that have become central to the dispute: the immediate question of access for prayers and the administrative decision on the future of the structure. While the court did not grant the requested permission, the Centre’s undertaking places a four-week window before any demolition-related action can be taken, pending its decision on the Waqf Board’s representation.
For Delhi’s built environment, the case illustrates how the status and use of a contested urban site can remain subject to overlapping legal and administrative processes. The immediate outcome is not a final determination on the mosque’s status. Instead, the court has recorded the Centre’s assurance while withholding the requested direction on prayers.
The next formal step is the Centre’s decision on the Delhi Waqf Board’s representation. The government’s counsel told the court that this decision would be taken within four weeks, and that no demolition would take place until then.
