New Delhi, Oct 21 (PTI) After serving an eviction notice to the more than 100-year-old Race Course Mosque and disconnecting its water and electricity supply, officials on Wednesday said the amenities have been cut in the mosque’s vicinity too, as part of a demolition drive.
Senior officials of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) said the action extends beyond the mosque located near the Prime Minister’s residence; several families in the surrounding area are also affected.
According to the officials, the mosque management received an eviction notice around October 19 and was given six days to vacate the premises.
The notice, which identified the land as belonging to the Land and Development Office (LDO) under the Union government, warned against unauthorised occupation and construction.
The mosque’s water and electricity supply was reportedly disconnected by the NDMC on October 7.
“There is an ongoing demolition drive going on in the area on the court’s order. Many properties, including the mosque, got their water and electricity connections disrupted after the LDO’s order,” a senior NDMC official said on condition of anonymity.
The mosque, which predates Independence, is listed on the NDMC’s heritage list in Grade-2 monument. The LDO maintains that the structure stands on government land and considers it an encroachment.
Nearly 700 families are likely to be displaced amid a demolition drive in the Race Course Road area.
According to officials, residents in the area have been asked to vacate and were provided alternative accommodation a few kilometres away.
Even as uncertainty loomed over the mosque’s future, prayers were offered there on Tuesday, they said. PTI VBH VBH RUK
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