Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahal, the imam of Idgah, has demanded that various pilgrimages, including Haj, be exempted from all taxes, including goods and services tax (GST), and also that the condition of filing income tax returns for Haj pilgrims be waived.
Maulana Khalid Rashid, who is also the head of Islamic Centre of India, said that it was a small demand and the people who saved money all their lives to perform pilgrimage could not afford taxes.
He also said that such benefits should be given for the pilgrimages of all religions,
He also said that a letter had been sent to the government listing the demands by the Islamic Centre of India.
The Islamic Centre of India has made three demands to the government. First, all means of travel for pilgrimages be used instead of relying only on air travel. He said Haj pilgrimage was getting expensive day by day, so alternatives should be looked for to make it cheaper. Secondly, the GST and all types of taxes should be waived for Haj pilgrimage and other religious journeys. Third, the condition of filling the income tax return for the Hajis should be abolished.
Meanwhile, UP’s Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mohsin Raza rejected the demand raised by Maulana Farangi Mahali. He said that GST and all other taxes were levied on everybody, irrespective of caste and religion, so there was no discrimination.
He asked Maulana Khalid Rashid to reconsider the issue before making the demand for tax relief.
The Samajwadi Party, meanwhile, supported the demands for exemption of GST and filing of income tax return by the Haj pilgrimages.
SP leader Anurag Bhadauria said that the government should consider the demands of the people irrespective of religion.
“If the poor people of any or all religions can be benefited by the tax relief then the government must consider the demand and act accordingly,” he said.