NAGPUR: Former Cabinet Minister Dr Anees Ahmed on Thursday submitted a deputation to Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Cabinet Minister for Minority Affairs, to clear the Centre’s stand on Haj 2020.
Dr Ahmed said that in the view of global pandemic of Covid-19, the Government has cancelled all International flights till Phase-3 and withdrawal of lockdown is expected to take place in the month of August 2020.
The flights for holy pilgrimage of Haj were scheduled from the month of June and Haj is scheduled in last week of July 2020. Under such situations, chances of people from India of going for Haj are very thin, he pointed out.
He further said that the pilgrims had filled their on-line applications through Haj Committee of India in the month October 2019 itself. All pilgrims selected by Haj Committee of India have paid Rs 2 lakh each to Haj Committee of India as an expenditure of the pilgrimage.
Dr Ahmed alleged that in a rough estimate about 1.25 lakh pilgrims have deposited Rs 2 lakh each with Haj Committee of India with a total around Rs 2,400 crore.
From state of Maharashtra alone, having a quota of 12,000, total of 39,000 people had applied, he said. All these people are now awaiting central government ‘s decision, reiterated Dr Ahmed. He mentioned to the Minister that Haj being one of the five pillars of Islam, a Muslim pilgrim spends his entire life saving for this pilgrimage.
Pilgrimage of Haj is a 40-days affair and everybody has to prepare himself or herself for the same. With uncertainty about pilgrimage is donning, people too are in the confusion. He made a humble appeal to Naqvi to clear Union Government’s stand regarding this year’s Haj Pilgrims and in case the Government takes decision not to send pilgrims this year, then Haj Committee of India should return the money of the people deposited with them.
Also those selected in lottery of Haj Committee this year must be automatically selected for next year’s pilgrimage, Dr Ahmed sought. (AGENCIES)
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