The Secretary of the Auqaf- e-Shahi, Bhopal, Azam Tirmizi refuted the allegations leveled by the All India Muslim Tehwar Committee (AIMTC) and said that the Committee is misleading the community over the issue.
Tirmizi in a statement here on Friday said, “It is understood, some self-styled president of a purported AIMTC addressed representation to Rajya Sabha Secretariat demanding that the 5,000 Haj pilgrims from MP from all the fifty-one districts should be accommodated in the Rubats at Mecca and Medina, which are under the Management of Auqaf-e-Shahi Bhopal, claiming that contributions running into several lakhs of rupees from all the districts of Madhya Pradesh have been utilised in the construction of said Rubats. The representation also claims that by collecting Rs 97,000 from each pilgrim crores of rupees are being siphoned illegally
by Haj Committee and that the pilgrims are being denied
their constitutional rights. The said representation was fo warded by Rajya Sabha Secretariat to Chief Secretary MP for comments and action if any.”
Tirmizi further said that without entering into credentials of the AIMTC it is hereby clarified that none of the statements made, grievances advanced and pleas raised are factually correct and legally tenable. The said Rubats in Mecca and Medina were given in trust endowment about hundred years back by the erstwhile Rulers of Bhopal and Kulsum Jahan Begum. The Waqf Deeds clearly outlined the beneficiaries to be the pilgrims visiting from State of Bhopal.
Accordingly both according to India and Saudi law the benefits of the waqf cannot be extended in contravention to the specified wishes of the trustees. Pilgrims other than from erstwhile state of Bhopal cannot provide free accommodation therein, he added.
He said the specifications of the accommodation for Haj pilgrims at Mecca and Medina are laid down by the Government of Saudi Arabia according to which the capacity in number of persons to be accommodated at any time is fixed for Mecca, that is around 200 pilgrims and beyond this not a single person can be allowed to stay.
Accordingly leave aside 4,000 and odd pilgrims of Madhya Pradesh from other than erstwhile State of Bhopal, even pilgrims visiting from Bhopal are not possible to be accommodated in the Mecca Rubat; though Medina Rubat is provided to all since the period and date of stay is regulated by Saudi Government by rotation. Allotment of limited seats in Mecca Rubat is held by lottery openly and transparently every year in Moti Masjid in presence of Qazi Shahar and Mufti, he added.
He said obviously there is no violation of constitutional rights of any Haj pilgrim visiting from MP since none has any right entrenched in constitution or in any law to stay free of cost either at Mecca and Medina.
It is for the Haj Committee of MP and India to comment upon the purported allegation of loot of Rs 97,000/- from each pilgrim and about crores of rupees being frittered away illegally.
The President AIMTC is also wholly incorrect in claiming that Rajya Sabha Secretariat directed the Chief Secretary of the State for taking any action in regard to transferring the management and control of Rubats to Haj Committee.
The representation was merely forwarded to Chief Secretary for comments and reporting back any action taken. Since none was warranted as such none was taken and rightly so, he added.