Despite subsidy removal, no financial burden on Haj pilgrims, says Minority Minister Naqvi

Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Monday stated that, despite the removal of subsidy, there has been no additional financial burden on Haj pilgrims.

While inaugurating a two-day orientation-cum-training program for Hajj pilgrims, the minority minister said that “even though the quota of pilgrims for all countries has been reduced by Saudi Arabia this year due to Covid restrictions, India's Haj quota is still higher than many prominent Islamic nations”.

This year, the Haj quota accounts for 79,237, including 1,00,051 from Indonesia and 81,132 from Pakistan.

Naqvi also underlined those significant reforms have been carried out in the entire Haj process by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

He also added that the Indian government has made certain arrangements to avoid any unnecessary financial burden on the Haj pilgrims.

“The Modi government has ended the ''political deceit of Haj subsidy'' that had been going on for decades with transparency and commitment to ''decisions with delivery'', Naqvi said.

The minority minister also said, “the Modi government's Haj reforms include abolishing the decades-old Haj subsidy, and removing the restriction on women to perform Hajj with 'Mehram' (male companion) which ensured more than 3,000 Muslim women have performed Hajj without 'Mehram'.”