India, June 9 -- The Delhi High Court on Monday questioned the Centre's move to take over nearly 200-year-old properties, including the iconic Delhi Gymkhana Club, Delhi Race Club, and Jaipur Polo Grounds, purportedly for "public purpose".

A vacation bench of justice Neena Bansal Krishna observed that these heritage and open spaces serve as vital "breather" for Delhi residents in a city grappling with pollution, and replacing them with high-rise structures could cause the Capital to "suffocate" and eventually render it unfit for its inhabitants.

"What are you going to do with all these heritage structures? Even Gymkhana is a heritage structure. What are you going to do? Make 20-storey buildings? Delhi will suffocate. You do all that you...