NEW DELHI: Several members of the elite Delhi Gymkhana Club have launched a signature campaign to move court against the Centre’s order directing the institution to vacate its premises in Lutyens’ Delhi by June 5.The members plan to file a petition on Monday challenging the government’s decision to take back the sprawling 27.3-acre property located at 2, Safdarjung Road, next to the prime minister’s residence on Lok Kalyan Marg.Brigadier Harinder Pal Bedi (retd), a long-time member of the club, said members gathered on Sunday to sign an authorisation letter for legal proceedings. “Several members of the club have signed the plea, and more are expected to sign it by tonight. The club has been an important part of our lives for decades, and the order has come as a shock to many of us,” Bedi said, as quoted by PTI.The Delhi Gymkhana received the notice on May 22 from the Land and Development Office (L&DO) under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The order sought “re-entry and resumption” of the land occupied by the club, citing public purpose and national interest considerations, including the need to strengthen defence and governance infrastructure in a highly sensitive area of the national capital. The Centre said the land parcel, spread across 27.3 acres, was required for “urgent institutional needs, governance infrastructure, and public-interest projects” integrated with adjoining government land. Invoking Clause 4 of the perpetual lease deed, the government ordered that the entire property, including buildings, lawns, structures and fittings, would vest with the President of India through the L&DO once possession is taken over on June 5.Amid the growing row, the club has also written to the Centre requesting that there be “no dislocation” of its functioning and operations. In a letter dated May 23 addressed to the L&DO, the club urged authorities not to take any disruptive action until clarity emerges on issues such as relocation and the possibility of alternative land allotment.The club said the move could affect nearly 14,000 members and users, besides more than 500 employees associated with the institution. It also pointed out that discussions with the government regarding enhancement of lease rent were already underway and that a writ petition challenging the revised lease rent is pending before the Delhi High Court.According to the communication, the club is currently being managed by a General Committee appointed by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs following a National Company Law Tribunal order in 2022, as an interim arrangement until an elected body takes charge.The club also highlighted an improvement in its finances in recent years, stating that projected financial results for 2023-24 showed a profit of Rs 925.10 lakh compared to losses of Rs 1,239.26 lakh in 2021-22.General P K Sehgal (retd), associated with the club since 1972, said members had unanimously decided to challenge the order.“Several former presidents of India, senior military officers, politicians and bureaucrats have been members of Delhi Gymkhana over the years. It is one of the most prestigious clubs in Delhi, and the sudden decision to take it back has raised concerns among the members about its future and where the club will be shifted,” he said.Founded on July 3, 1913 as the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club, the institution originally catered to British administrators and military officers during the colonial period. Following Independence in 1947, the word “Imperial” was removed from its name, while most of the current structures date back to the 1930s.
