The Centre has ordered the re-entry and resumption of the historic premises of the Delhi Gymkhana Club situated on Safdarjung Road in the national capital, directing the club to hand over possession of the land by June 5.In an official order issued by the Union Government, authorities cited “public purpose”, “defence infrastructure” and “national security considerations” as grounds for taking back control of the prime land parcel in Lutyens’ Delhi.The order effectively revives the long-running tussle between the Centre and the elite club over the status and control of the property, which has historically been linked to the government through lease arrangements dating back to the post-Independence period.Officials said the government has invoked its powers of “re-entry and resumption” under the terms governing the land allotment. The communication directs the club management to peacefully vacate and hand over possession of the premises within the stipulated timeline.Located in the heart of New Delhi near key government and diplomatic establishments, the Delhi Gymkhana Club occupies one of the capital’s most high-value and strategically sensitive land parcels. The area falls within the larger administrative and security zone surrounding central government institutions and defence-linked establishments.While the Centre has maintained that the move is driven by larger sovereign and strategic considerations, the development is likely to trigger legal and administrative challenges from the club, which has in the past contested government interventions related to its functioning and lease status.The Delhi Gymkhana Club, one of India’s oldest and most exclusive institutions, traces its origins to the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club established during the British era. Over the decades, it has counted senior bureaucrats, diplomats, military officers and business figures among its members.The Gymkhana Club’s secretary was reached out to, but there was no response from the club management on the government’s latest order.