India’s government orders handover of exclusive Delhi Gymkhana Club | India
India’s government has ordered one of the country’s most exclusive private clubs to vacate its facilities within two weeks, underlining prime minister Narendra Modi’s long-running crackdown on established elite institutions.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has directed the Delhi Gymkhana Club to hand over its vast space in the heart of New Delhi by June 5, citing urgent public interest requirements, including defense and security infrastructure.
Founded in 1913 under British colonial rule as the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club, the institution has long been synonymous with the rich and famous.
Once restricted to colonial elites under discriminatory entry rules barring Indians, it later became a powerful networking center for politicians, senior bureaucrats, judges and business figures after independence in 1947.
The ministry said the land adjacent to the prime minister’s residence was “critically required for strengthening and securing defense infrastructure and other vital public security purposes”, Press Trust of India news agency reported, citing a government letter to the club’s secretary.
The move comes against the backdrop of a broader political shift since Modi first took office in 2014, in which he has positioned himself as a challenger to India’s traditional elites, including those linked to the opposition Congress party led by the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty.
Analysts say the importance of venues like the Delhi Gymkhana Club has been eroded by Modi’s populist policies.
The Hindu-nationalist leader has sought to eliminate the remnants of India’s colonial past by remodeling many important monuments from the British era through his own mega-projects.
The club, which houses buildings that are nearly 100 years old, remains one of the most sought-after memberships in the capital, with long waiting lists and a reputation as a center of influence.
However, internal disputes and allegations of financial mismanagement have also come to the fore in recent years.
Figures associated with Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata party have repeatedly accused the party’s leadership of factionalism and mismanagement.
