Centre Seeks Demolition of Delhi's Historic Qadeemi Mosque to Advance Central Vista Blueprint
The central government has formally petitioned authorities to clear the centuries-old Qadeemi Mosque situated inside the Krishi Bhawan perimeter to facilitate ongoing redevelopment. Officials maintain that the land tenure grants them absolute authority to reject alternative space allocations within the administrative precinct.
- The central government has moved to clear the historic Qadeemi Mosque located within the Krishi Bhawan compound.
- Authorities argue that the Land and Development Office retains full ownership rights and is not legally obligated to allocate alternative space.
- The legal tussle highlights ongoing tensions between urban redevelopment initiatives and historical religious sites in the capital.
The Union government has formally moved to secure the removal of the historic Qadeemi Mosque from the Krishi Bhawan compound in the national capital to clear land for the expansive Central Vista redevelopment initiative. Legal representatives for the administration asserted before judicial proceedings that the site falls squarely under sovereign land ownership, giving the state absolute discretion over its future utilization.
This latest development is tied to the massive overhaul of New Delhi's central administrative district, a monumental undertaking aimed at modernizing parliamentary buildings, ministerial offices, and public infrastructure. The Qadeemi Mosque, having stood within the bureaucratic compound for generations, has become a focal point in the friction between rapid infrastructural modernization and the preservation of historical religious landmarks.
According to reports by NDTV India, the Land and Development Office (L&DO) firmly maintained its position that it cannot be legally compelled to designate or carve out alternative parcel space for the displaced religious structure either within the current Krishi Bhawan footprint or the broader Central Secretariat complex. Government counsel emphasized that statutory land tenure rules override appeals for on-site relocation or compensatory allotments.
