The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice on a plea filed by a worshipper seeking protection of the Race Course Masjid against its apprehended demolition.

Justice Anish Dayal sought response of the Central Government through Land and Development Office and the Delhi Waqf Board while listing the matter for hearing on Thursday.

The mosque is located inside the Race Course Club, which occupies around 53 acres near the Prime Minister's residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg.

Advocate M Sufiyan Siddiqui appeared for the petitioner- Syed Ahmed Saud, arguing that there is an imminent threat of demolition of the mosque.

He said that the obstruction to ingress and egress has prevented worshippers from entering the masjid and that there is complete abdication of the statutory duty by the Delhi Waqf Board in not taking enough measures on the issue.

Saud claims to be a person interested in the matter by invoking his independent right of religious practice who has been denied access to the mosque.

Siddiqui said that the mosque is notified in the government gazette since 1977 as a Waqf property and also enjoys grade-II recognition under the notification of October 01, 2009.

He said that the authorities would require a specific permission of the heritage commito even do basic alterations in the masjid, much less demolition.

As per the plea, the reason for apprehension of the demolition is the recent disconnection of electricity and water facilities in the mosque pursuant to demolition exercise taking place at the premises.

The counsel appearing for the Delhi Waqf Board said that representation has been filed to the L&DO and other authorities on October 19 which have still not been decided. Saud has also moved two representations on the issue to L&DO and Delhi Waqf Board.

CGSC Ashish Dixit sought time to seek instructions on the issue and said that the disconnection of electricity and water facilities was done in order to avoid any security risk to any person accessing the mosque due to the demolition taking place in the race course area.

He said that there is also a temple situated in the premises in question and that he will seek instructions on that too.

Orally, he said that till the next date of hearing, no demolition activity will be carried out on the mosque.