New Delhi, May 07: Several Hajj committees and political parties, including the Congress, have urged the government to immediately roll back the additional airfare of ₹10,000 imposed on Hajj pilgrims.
The Hajj Committee of India recently increased airfares by ₹10,000 per pilgrim, stating that the hike had become necessary due to a sharp rise in global Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices.
The Maharashtra State Minorities Commission said the additional airfare would place an extra financial burden on pilgrims. Similarly, the Hyderabad Haj Committee said the eleventh-hour decision had created difficulties for pilgrims and their families. Most Indian pilgrims have already reached Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage.
Asaduddin Owaisi and several community leaders described the increase as financial exploitation of ordinary citizens who save for years to perform the sacred pilgrimage.
The Indian National Congress also formally demanded immediate withdrawal of the decision. Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain termed the last-minute surcharge “arbitrary and unjustified,” saying it imposed an undue burden on low-income and elderly pilgrims who had already paid their instalments. Congress leader Imran Pratapgarhi had earlier sought relief for Haj pilgrims.
In a letter addressed to the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Maharashtra government, State Commission member Wasim Haji Khwajabhai Burhan raised concerns over the recent circular issued by the Haj Committee of India.
