The decision of Narendra Modi Government to withdraw the Haj subsidy given to Muslims going to Saudi Arabia on pilgrimage has evoked mixed response from the community leaders.
AIMIM president and member of Parliament Asadudidn Owaisi, a prominent voice of Muslims in the country, welcomed the decision but demanded that the Modi Government should allocate Rs 2,000 crore annually towards the scholarships for the Muslim girls. Talking to media in Hyderabad, he said that he had been demanding the withdrawal of the Haj subsidy and spending the money on girls’ education for more than a decade and the Supreme Court had also passed an order in 2012 that the subsidy should be phased out by 2022. “There is no need for Modi Government to create a hype as the decision is nothing but the implementation of the Supreme Court orders”, he said.
“If Haj subsidy was appeasement of minority then what are the funds spent on Hindu festivals and YatrasIJ Are they appeasement of the majority”IJ he questioned.
“I challenge the Modi Government to walk the talk by allocating Rs 2000 crore for Muslim girls’ pre matric, post matric and merit cum means scholarship. Will Modi do it, I doubt. But we will wait and see in the next budget”, he said.
Asad Owais posed several questions to the Government as well as the BJP and RSS on spending by the various State Government on various Hindu religious places and festivals. “Haryana Government gave Rs 1 crore to Dera Sacha Suada. Was it for electoral appeasementIJ Why did Modi Government gave grant of Rs 100 crore to Madhya Pradesh for Simhasta Maha Kumb and MP government had spend Rs 3400 croreIJ Was this not appeasement”, he asked.
He also pointed out that the government of India spent Rs 1150 crore in 2014 on Kumbh Mela and Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh allocates Rs 800 core for Kashi, Ayodhya and Mathura. Similarly the UP Government announced a subsidy of Rs 150,000 for every pilgrim going to Man Sarovar Yatra. “My question is whether the BJP government will scrap all these subsidies and fund allocations”IJ
He also questioned the validity of Gujrat government paying salaries to the temple priests and asked whether it was also appeasement of the majority.
“from where the funds will come for erecting a gigantic statue of Rama in Uttar Pradesh”, he asked.
All India Muslim Personal law Board secretary Moulana Khaid Saifullah Rahmani was however of the view that the Haj subsidy was compliant with the Indian constitution and decision to end it was unjust, undemocratic and discriminatory.
He pointed out that the other communities were also getting the similar subsidies and funds.
Jamat-e-Islami Hindi Chief of Telangana and Odisha Moulana Hamid Mohammed Khan said that Haj subsidy was basically aimed at helping the loss making Air India. He demanded an open bid and the Airline bidding the lowest fare should be awarded the contract to fly the pilgrims.
A senior official in Telangana State Haj Committee agreed that due to the monopoly over flying the pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, Air India was making a lot of money. He pointed out that last year a pilgrim had to pay Rs 62000 towards air fare when the other prevailing air ticket at the time was only Rs 48000.
Meanwhile the leader of opposition in Telangana legislative Council and the senior Congress leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir alleged that the announcement of removing the Haj subsidy was aimed at appeasing the visiting Israeli Prime Minister Nitenyahu. “Making such an announcement after the completion of the process of selection of the pilgrims and just a few months before the Haj was cruel and reflects the anti Muslim thinking of the NDA government”.
On the assurance of minister for minority affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi that the government will spend the Haj subsidy money on the education of Muslim girls he asked whether the government does not have other funds for the purpose. He also demanded that the government should call for tenders to select the airline to carry 1.75 lakh pilgrims this year. “The bidding will bring down the fares”, he said.