Hyderabad, Oct. 25 -- With the sword of Damocles hanging over Delhi's Race Course mosque, Imam Mohammed Haroon has found a supporter and friend in temple priest Keshav Raj Shastri, who believes the move is wrong.

"Masjid aur mandir tho kabhi nahi todna chahiye. Maulana sahab mere purane dost hai. Hum jaathe-aathe hai, baath hothi hai (Mosques and temples should never be demolished. Maulana sahib is an old friend of mine. We visit each other, and we talk)," Shastri told reporters.

The century-old mosque is located near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence, inside the Race Course Club, which covers about 53 acre of land. The club and the slums around it are being cleared after several rounds of litigation.

It is a Grade II heritage s...