Exclusive | Central Vista upgrade: After assurance in High Court, Krishi Bhawan mosque not in new building plan

The Qadeemi Masjid is used primarily by Central government employees to offer prayers, said its imam. The mosque is not a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India but figures in a list of Waqf properties published in the Delhi Administration’s gazette of 1970.

The CPWD, under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), floated a tender on January 19 for construction of Common Central Secretariat (CCS) buildings 4 and 5, at the site of the Krishi Bhawan and Shashi Bhawan.

Under the larger Central Vista redevelopment plan, 10 CCS buildings are to be constructed, after demolishing existing government office blocks. So far, three buildings have been constructed and the remaining are either under construction or in the planning/tendering stage.

The MoHUA did not respond to a request for comment.

Aerial view of the Kartavya Path under the Central Vista project (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Mosque, temple removed earlier

The Indian Express visited the mosque and found about 30-40 worshippers offering prayers around lunch time. There is a dedicated space for women to offer prayers in the basement of the mosque.

Incidentally, the removal of a religious structure during the Central Vista redevelopment isn’t new. A mosque and a temple located on the premises of the erstwhile official residence of the Vice-President at 6, Maulana Azad Road, were removed as part of the Central Vista redevelopment.

The Delhi Waqf Board had moved the High Court in 2021 seeking protection of six Waqf properties that could be affected by the Central Vista redevelopment project: Masjid Zabta Ganj on Mansingh Road; Jama Masjid on Red Cross Road near Parliament; Masjid on Sunehri Bagh Road; Mazar on Sunehri Bagh Road; Masjid inside Krishi Bhawan and Masjid inside 6, Maulana Azad Road.

Apart from the last two, the other mosques/mazar are not located within the plots of the proposed new buildings.

‘Krishi Bhawan Masjid over 100 years old’

As regards the Krishi Bhawan Mosque, the Waqf Board said it was “more than 100 years old, operational and in good condition” and that it was “older than the said government building”.

“The petition is instituted with a limited objective to ensure that the religious / Waqf properties, which are also of historical importance, subject matter of the present petition are preserved and protected in (the) redevelopment process. It may not be out of place to state that the petitioner is constrained to file the present petition only on account of the fact that the several representations made by it seeking clarification and assurances from the respondent have gone unheard and without any response,” the Waqf Board’s petition said.

During the hearings, the government told the court that no action was being taken with respect to the six religious structures at that time.

Representing the government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said on December 1, 2021, that it was a long-term project. “Nothing is happening to these properties. We are before your lordships. It (the project) is a very long plan and we have not reached anywhere near it,” he said.

Mehta did not respond when reached for a comment.

The court eventually dismissed the Waqf Board’s petition on July 22, 2024, saying it could approach again “in case the petitioner realises any threat to the Waqf property in the Central Vista Redevelopment Project”.

Waqf Board term ended in 2023

The last Waqf Board’s term ended in 2023 and it has not been reconstituted after that. Chairman of Delhi Waqf Board at the time of the High Court hearing Amanatullah Khan told The Indian Express: “The government had said in court that the mosques would not be affected. If they are now going to demolish it, it is wrong.”

The CCS 4 and 5 project is estimated to cost Rs 3,006.07 crore and take 24 months. The CPWD has invited bids till February 13. CCS 4 and 5 buildings will be spread over 3.04 lakh sq m, with seven floors each.

“The work shall be carried out within a designated land parcel currently housing the buildings of Shastri Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan, located at plot No.120 Dr. Rajendra Prasad Road, New Delhi, after dismantling the existing buildings,” the bid document said.