Published Oct 20, 2026 | 1:38 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 20, 2026 | 1:38 PM
Race Course Masjid
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president and Lok Sabha member Asaduddin Owaisi has urged Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to intervene urgently to stop the planned demolition of the Race Course Masjid, a more-than-a-century-old mosque near the prime minister’s official residence in New Delhi.
Owaisi pointed out in an X post that despite the masjid being a gazetted waqf property since 1977, the waqf board had not challenged the demolition order. It had also made no effort to resolve the issue.
He also said no effort has been made to protect the masjid—a waqf-by-use property. Owaisi urged Minister Rijiju to resolve the issue, as the Delhi Waqf Board has not been constituted since 2023. Though its CEO could have intervened, “that also did not happen,” Owaisi said.
Imam Mohammed Harun of the masjid said the Land and Development Office (L&DO) issued a six-day notice to vacate the premises. He said the power and water connections to the mosque have been severed.
The imam said the mosque was legally established and included in the NDMC’s notified heritage list. He also referred to a 2021 survey of the area, claiming the mosque was not identified as an unauthorised structure or encroachment.
Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan also raised concerns over the reported demolition plan. He said he had spoken with the imam about the L&DO’s alleged move.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
