New Delhi [India], May 26 (ANI): A member of the Delhi Gymkhana Club on Monday countered the Centre's order concerning the institution, saying the perception that it caters only to the 'super-rich' is a 'total myth' and warned that vacating the premises would affect hundreds of staff and veterans.

Rumnita Mittal, a member of the Club, said nearly half the permanent members are from the armed forces and bureaucracy who use the space after retirement.

'The first issue I think mostly is that we have to bust the myth that Gymkhana Club belongs to super-rich people with big cars or a lot of money, which is a total myth. The permanent members, 50% are armed forces, retired personnel. Then there are the bureaucrats. The bureaucrats who have made the policy decisions. They are the ones who, after retirement, are sitting here having a cup of tea in this open environment,' Mittal told ANI.

Raising concerns over the timeline of the directive, she questioned the fate of Club employees. 'How can you, within two weeks, tell us to vacate? What about the staff? 500-600 staff, where will they go? They will be on the roads,' she said.

Mittal also highlighted the Club's heritage status and sporting infrastructure.

'It's a heritage building. It's got grass courts, which you will barely find in Delhi, and we've held international tournaments here. It is a sports club and is used by veterans and retired people. So it would be very unfair to them that overnight you take away their place from them,' she added.

Meanwhile, alleging that the Centre is attempting to forcibly evict Delhi Gymkhana Club from its historic Safdarjung Road premises through an executive notice without due process, a member of the Club approached the Delhi High Court challenging the government's move to take over the 27.3-acre property.

The suit claims that the Union Government's May 22 notice invoking the re-entry clause under the 1928 perpetual lease deed is based on 'vague and generalised' references to 'defence infrastructure', 'public security purposes' and 'governance infrastructure' without disclosing any specific public project, urgency, assessment or material justifying repossession of the property.

Filed by longtime member Vijay Khurana, the plaint further alleges that the government has not offered any compensation for the land, premium paid, or the buildings and structures standing on the premises, despite seeking to extinguish century-old leasehold and proprietary rights.

The suit also accuses the Centre of attempting to effect 'forced eviction through executive force, administrative fiat and threat/exercise of police power' instead of following due process of law.

The matter is expected to witness a high-profile contest before the Delhi High Court, with the legal team for the Centre and respondent authorities likely to be led by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, along with Central Government Standing Counsel Ashish Dixit. (ANI)