Centre Orders Delhi Gymkhana Club To Vacate Prime Lutyens’ Delhi Land

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:00]One of Delhi's most elite and historic institutions is now at the center of a major confrontation with the central government. The iconic Delhi Jim Khana club has been ordered by the central government to vacate and hand over its sprawling 27.3 acre property in the heart of Luchin Delhi by the 5th of June. The reason cited by the center is national security. According to the Land and Development Office under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the land is now quote unquote critically required for strengthening defense infrastructure, governance related projects and other vital public security purposes. And the location explains why this move is so significant. The Delhi Jimara Club sits on Sabar Jang road right next to the prime minister's residence on Localan and surrounded by some of the country's most sensitive government and defense establishments invoking powers under the lease agreement. The government says the president of India has terminated the lease and ordered immediate re-entry of the promises. That means the entire land parcel including the club buildings, sports facilities, lawns and other infrastructure would formally vest with the government once possession is taken over. But the club is now fighting back cautiously. In an official communication to members, the Delhi Jim Kana Club says it has sought urgent clarification from the government and requested an immediate meeting with ministry officials. The management says its priority right now is to ensure that the club's operations continue without any disruption.

[00:01:51]And beyond the politics and legalities, there is growing anxiety among nearly 600 employees associated with the club.

[00:02:00]Staff members say they still do not know what will happen to their jobs if the property is taken over next month.

[00:02:09]Founded in the year 1913 during British rule as the Imperial Delhi Jim Khana Club, the institution has for more than a century has been associated with India's power elite, senior bureaucrats, diplomats, military officers, industrialists and political leaders. Its colonial era buildings designed in the 1930s by noted architect Robert Russell have long represented not just exclusivity but also a certain culture of influence and establishment networking in the national capital. And interestingly the tensions between the center and the club are not entirely new. Back in the year 2022, the National Company Law Tribunal had allowed the government to take over the club's management amidst allegations of financial irregularities and governance violations.

[00:03:23]Family Guard.

[00:03:54]Senior citizens.

[00:04:18]It's a matter of great shame that you know a landmark where which has been you know Delhi is synonymous with Delhi Jim Khana club where the elite people come and these are all retired government um uh army people the best people come here and you want to just close down on on fictitious grounds. I don't think there is anything which needs to be done for so many years. This club has existed and it has been a prominent landmark. I think it's a matter of great shame and this must be laid down. You have 600 permanent employees who are there.

[00:04:52]People who come the best of the best people come here. The greatest discipline is maintained here. I think this is one of the landmarks and it'll be a great shame if uh something doesn't happen and this is not stopped.

[00:05:06]>> And now we have Mr. Dilip Cherion, founder perfect relations and image group uh joining us. We also have ambassador Suresh K Goyel, former secretary of minister of external affairs and member of the general committee of the Jim Kana Club. Thank you both of you for taking time out to be with us. Uh let me begin with you DIP Cherry and DIP talk to us how your view on the matter. National security has overridden concerns even in contonement areas uh you know where you know for the sake of national security you had to make changes on who can enter and who cannot enter and then here you have uh an elite cultural hub if I may that is you know sort of defined uh you know Delhi in many ways you know through history and it's at the threat of uh being evicted quite literally >> Krishna the the uh eviction notice is itself the point at which we need to be concerned because there is definitely no security threat especially given the fact that the prime minister's residence itself is moving government must always when it makes any move of this kind and I'm not a member of the club so I'm not an interested party in any way uh must recognize that there is suspicion when these kinds of grounds are trotted out. That is not a good sign for any government. The fact is that people are concerned that this is not being done with the intention of defense requirements as it is being indicated. So that's the first objection. The second objection is that government has no shortage of land in Delhi, in Delhi and in other parts of Delhi. And I think that that also is a reason why this does not seem to have any logic whatsoever. I'm not a great believer in the elitism or the exclusivity or even the employment of x number of people. Those are issues that are being uh fought over in many many places. So employees are being thrown out in lots of establishments and I don't think we can make that it's an nice formula to sink but that is not the reason the reason ought to be that government does not have any real reason to get this land back and if something is functioning without causing any disturbance of any kind then it's absolutely incorrect to do this kind of thing and government is taking over all kinds of institutions which he has no ability to manage or to guide or to grow.

[00:07:51]>> Okay. Then let me bring this across to ambassador Suresh Go who is a member of the general committee Jim Khana club. Uh tell us uh you know there is of course the lives of 600 employees at stake over there because there's been no clarity given on that front.

[00:08:05]>> Uh thank you very much Krishna. I was the member of the general committee when there used to be elections.

[00:08:11]Unfortunately, the general committee of the club is now of the people appointed by the government and they don't represent the club at all and mo most of them are not even member of the club.

[00:08:24]They don't even understand how the club functions. Just to get back to the issue that you have I mean I think no point by repeating really what DIP has said and others have said it is the most ill advised decision that I've seen from the government coming this way makes no sense whatsoever when the prime minister's office is going to move out from there right next to from seven local to some other area so where is the security issue there are houses of the members of parliament and the ministers In the area there is Gandhi spiriti there, Indra Gandhi spiriti there. So where is the issue of security is fictitious.

[00:09:07]Most importantly I think there is a kind of a rules because Delhi Jim Khana club is associated with elitism and a colonial institution. It is neither of those. Unless you associate, unless you're confusing between the best with theism, Delhi Jim Khana club has given the best of the tennis players to India.

[00:09:32]We have hosted devis matches in the Delhi Jim Khana club. We have some of the best tennis courts and the squash codes. It's a sporting institution. We have done literature festivals here. We have promoted Sufi, Sufi culture, plays, theater, Mahabharat. We have done all kinds of things. So where is the so the being the best and when I was there I was heading Delhi ICCR Indian Council for Cultural Relations. I was in charge of all the cultural activities to promote international cooperation. I was a secretary to the government of India. It's a networking place at on any day in Delhi Jim Khana club you'll find some of the best from India talking to each other whether the politicians economists uh civil servants writers authors anyone they are the best who are actually meeting there and talking to each other that is what we are going to be destroying 201 1913 the institution was established more than 100 years of history. We are going to basically ra raise it to the rubble.

[00:10:48]Why? It doesn't make any sense to me at all whatsoever. Unless there is something which the government has not explained. And if that's the case, it is for the government to come right out in the open and explain fully why they want to demolish, why they want to take away this place, which is not a latest but the best of Delhi really. more than it's a history of independence India.

[00:11:14]Every government servant mo many of the ministers have been members here. So that's all I will say. Uh Krishna >> what what do you think can be done at this stage because you know the the management has so far put out a notice you know official communication saying the fact that no the focus is to continue the operations without any kind of a disruption while they're seeking clarification from the government.

[00:11:39]Whereas what seems to have happened is there is an order from the president of India cancelling the lease.

[00:11:45]>> What can be done?

[00:11:45]>> I think I think there are some members who collectively are going to go to the court to ask for a stay order. That's a legal remedy. We are going to seek a meeting also with the secretary of MSUA to reveal a decision and not be so hasty. Gives give more time. But the best that the government can do, they have taken many decisions in the past and the decisions can be rescended.

[00:12:12]There nothing is written in the stone which cannot be changed. If they find the decision is not really conducive to the health of an institution, change it.

[00:12:24]This is the decision >> that's the way to go, isn't it? The matter has to go to court to start with.

[00:12:29]My my question is that what are the chances that the Jim Kana club is going to win?

[00:12:34]You know, I think the Jim Khana club has certainly a very good case to make out.

[00:12:39]As I said, the courts will ask the big basic question. What do you need the land for? You can alter the means of joining. You can alter the composition.

[00:12:51]By all means, these are all within the government's rights because it is the land owner. But I think that the real answer is to be able to take the equally smart decision to back off and to say no, this is a wrong decision and somebody has just tossed it up. My only concern is whether this is really in in keeping with what we expect of civilized democratic governments. This is not how decisions are taken and across the country. I think the nature of uh watering holes like this and places like this change over time and certainly we would like to see this kind of institution survive and change.

[00:13:43]Fair enough. Ambassador Suresh Go, you know, let I'm going to, you know, end by asking you, you know, one is that there is to be a fight back and there will be a fight back. But what do you think needs to fundamentally change when it comes to Delhi Jim Khana club per se?

[00:13:57]>> Uh there is no fighting back. We are going to present our case to the government in a most reasonable manner and we are we are quite confident that the government is not made up of people who will not understand the rational behind what we are saying. They're reasonable people. So I I'm I'm quite confident that they will see the reason behind what we are saying. Uh number two, most importantly let us remember the institutions are not built in a day. You can destroy an institution in a day but it takes years and decades and sometimes centuries to build those institutions. So in haste don't do something which you cannot rebuild.