The Centre on Tuesday, 16 January, withdrew Haj subsidy that was provided to Indian Muslims taking the pilgrimage. The decision was in line with a 2012 Supreme Court order, in which the Union government was asked to do away with the subsidy.
There will be no subsidy for Haj from this year, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Tuesday. The move was part of the government's efforts to "empower minorities" without appeasement, he said.
Naqvi told reporters that despite the subsidy being withdrawn, a record number of 1.75 lakh Muslims would undertake the pilgrimage this year from India.
With the Centre announcing the abolition of the Haj subsidy, the Congress said it hopes the Narendra Modi government would utilise the money for the upliftment of minorities.
Congress spokesperson Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the government had ended the subsidy four years before the Supreme Court order. The subsidy was not meant to appease Muslims, but it benefited the airlines which inflated the ticket prices during the pilgrimage period, he said.
Asked if the Congress welcomed the decision of abolishing the subsidy, he said, "We welcome the Supreme Court judgment, not the government."
“It was not the government's decision but of the Supreme Court bench of Justice Aftab Alam. The government is only implementing the Supreme Court decision,” Azad said.
Naqvi also said that the Saudi Arabian government has in principle agreed to allow Haj journey from India by sea and officials of the two countries would sit together to finalise the modalities.
Asaduddin Owaisi, president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), asked about the subsidies given to Hindus which should also be counted as vote bank politics.
VHP Welcomes Move
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) welcomed the Centre's decision to withdraw the Haj subsidy, and said the money saved from it should be utilised for the education of poor Hindu girls.
VHP international working president Pravin Togadia said it was the result of the collective demand of Hindus.
Better late than never... We hope that this step will be followed by national laws for the construction of the Ram temple and stopping cow slaughter.Pravin Togadia, president, VHP
Muslims Cheated, Only Air India Benefitted
The government's decision on revoking Haj subsidy has no meaning as there was no such concession and Muslims were being cheated in its name, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) said.
The subsidy was not given to those going on Haj, but it was for Air India that is running in losses. It was an eyewash. Muslims were cheated in the name of the subsidy.Maulana Wali Rahmani, AIMPLB General Secretary
"In normal days, tickets for Saudi Arabia come for Rs 32,000, but during Haj, Air India used to charge Rs 65,000 to Rs 1 lakh from those going for Haj. The fare will be less without subsidy," he said.
Haj-bound Muslims are bulk purchasers of Air India tickets and so their fare should be less. It’s rule of International Air Transport Association that if anyone is going for pilgrimage, he will be given 40 percent discount.If the fare is not less, it should at least the same as on normal days.
All India Shia Personal Law Board Chairman Yasoob Abbas, on the other hand, said the board favoured subsidy on Haj.
The government used to give subsidy to reduce loss of Air India. If the amount is now spent on education of Muslim children, it will be good but the poor who used to go to Haj will not do so now.
(With inputs from PTI)
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