‘God save us all when…’: Delhi HC slams government’s plan to take over ‘small green space’ at Gymkhana Club, Polo Grounds | Today’s news

The Delhi High Court reportedly had strong remarks about the central government’s plans to take over Lutyens’ Delhi properties, including the Delhi Gymkhana Club and the Polo Ground. The court expressed concern over shrinking green spaces in the state capital.

Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, while hearing a plea filed by the Indian Polo Association over the government’s eviction notice, expressed concern over the fate of heritage structures in these properties.

“Delhi will suffocate. God save us all if this is how you want Delhi to live,” the court said, according to Bar and Bench.

What is the request about?

The Indian Polo Association moved the court after receiving an eviction notice from the land located opposite the Prime Minister’s official house. She sought to stay on the government’s notice to evict them from the 15.20-acre Jaipur Polo Ground in the Race Course area.

The Indian Polo Association said it has filed an appeal against the May 20 order of the Estates Officer to eviction the Jaipur Polo Ground before the District & Sessions Judge, Patiala House Court, along with an application for a temporary stay under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971.

According to PTI, the plea said that though there was a threat of forced eviction on June 4, neither the appeal nor the urgent prayer for stay of the eviction order was heard by the district judge on June 3 and the matter was adjourned to July 23 after the notice was issued.

“We will suffocate and die”

According to a report, the Delhi High Court said that green spaces in Delhi are already scarce and the “little green space” left in the NDMC area is also being taken over.

The court also questioned whether the government was planning to construct high-rise buildings in the area, the Bar and Bench said.

“The little respite we have in the NDMC area will also go away and we will all suffocate and die,” the Bench observed, according to Bar and Bench.

The court also noted that the government did not feel the need to take over the 200-year-old land and asked whether the construction of high-rise buildings was in the public interest.

“Why do you want the Polo Club? What are you going to do with all these historic structures, even in the Gymkhana? What are you going to do? Build 20-story buildings?” Justice Krishna observed, according to the Bar and Bench.

“What will you make of Delhi? People of Delhi go to chhota-mota mountain and stay there. We have small lungs and you want to take them too. Make sure people stop going to Delhi. We have only high-rise buildings everywhere. All double-storey buildings are gone. Every colony has been demolished. If this is how you want Delhi to live,” PTI reported or God help us.

“You (the state) have the power. But the point is that Delhi will suffocate,” he added.

What did the Delhi HC rule?

The High Court has reportedly disposed of the suit filed by the Polo Association. However, he ordered the trial court to decide their application for adjournment based on the eviction notice. The High Court also asked the Patiala House Court on Wednesday, June 10, to hear the plea for adjournment.

Even as the Indian Polo Association’s counsel urged the bench to pass an order preventing the authorities from evicting them pending the stay application, central government representative Ashish Dixit said the notification was likely to be made only on Friday.

Central Government Standing Counsel (CGSC) Ashish Dixit defended the government’s decision. He said the land is needed for public and defense purposes, the Bar Bench said in a series of submissions on X.

Dixit added that there is limited space in the Central Delhi area and government functions have to be performed from that area itself.

Indian Polo Association was established in 1892. It is registered under the Companies Registration Act.

In the Gymkhana Club matter, the Center also said the land is necessary to fulfill “urgent institutional needs, governance infrastructure and public interest projects, integrated with the redevelopment of adjoining government lands”.