India, May 24 -- Government cites defence and public-security requirements for re-entry into iconic Lutyens' Delhi institution.

More than five years after the Union government first moved legally against the functioning of Delhi Gymkhana Club, one of the last remaining citadels of the uber rich and powerful in Lutyens' Delhi, the Centre has now taken the far more consequential step of terminating the lease of the club's 27.3-acre premises at Safdarjung Road and ordering re-entry into the property.

The order, issued on 22nd May by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs through the Land & Development Office (L&DO), fixes 5th June for taking physical possession of the premises.

The move marks a sharp escalation from the Centre's earlie...