DSOI secretary Col (retd) Harinder Singh, denies this and claims that non-availability of waiters on Diwali eve necessitated preponing the celebration.

The Diwali party was to be held on November 6, but club authorities now say that the club will remain closed on November 6 and November 7. According to a club circular mailed out to members: "Due to popular demand of the members, the DSOI is organising Diwali Eve celebrations on November 3."

Subsequently, the DSOI Members' Action Committee protested in writing to the Punjab Governor, Defence Welfare Minister and chief secretary; the letter, signed by 41 club members, denies any such "popular demand" and describes the "arbitrary" change of date as causing "great consternation and misgivings". The angry action committee has urged members to boycott the November 3 celebrations.

Club member Brig (retd) H.S. Ghuman is among those disgruntled by the change of date as "the Diwali party is the institute's single most important event, an occasion when holidaying children accompany their parents and grandparents to the club".

Dismissing "non-availability of waiters" as the reason for the change of date as pure fabrication, club member Col (retd) J.S. Sandhu asks: "If it was only a question of waiters, why is the club closed for DSOI members but open for other functions?"

The DSOI has been embattled since its inception in 1996, when two factions asserted a right over the site. In that year, the court appointed a receiver to head the club pending resolution of the dispute. At present club administration is under Receiver Gurvinder Chahal.