Dr Farooq Abdullah Urges PM Modi to Restore Private Hajj Quota
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Synopsis
On April 14, Dr Farooq Abdullah, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, appealed to PM Modi to leverage his ties with Saudi Arabia to restore the drastically reduced private Hajj quota, which has been cut by 80%. Urgent intervention is needed to alleviate the distress caused to pilgrims and tour operators.
Key Takeaways
- Dr Farooq Abdullah appeals to PM Modi.
- Private Hajj quota reduced by 80%.
- Impact on jobs and pilgrimage aspirations.
- Mehbooba Mufti expresses similar concerns.
- Call for Ministry of External Affairs intervention.
Srinagar, April 14 (NationPress) Dr Farooq Abdullah, the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and President of the National Conference (NC), made an appeal on Monday to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He urged him to leverage his relationship with the Saudi Arabian rulers to reinstate the private Hajj quota that has been drastically reduced.
The Saudi Arabian government has cut down India’s private Hajj quota by a staggering 80 percent.
Every year, numerous affluent Muslims undertake the Hajj pilgrimage through private tour and travel agencies.
These agencies receive a specific quota of pilgrims that exceeds the official Hajj quota allocated to India by the Saudi government.
Hundreds of pilgrims rely on these private operators each year to fulfill the Hajj pilgrimage, which is considered the most sacred journey in a Muslim’s life.
Dr Abdullah stated, “I appeal to the Prime Minister to use his personal influence with the Saudi leaders to restore the private Hajj quota. Our relations with Saudi Arabia are strong.”
“The Prime Minister is a close friend of the Saudi rulers. If they are unable to increase the private Hajj quota, they should at least restore what we had previously. This decision affects many jobs.”
“Most importantly, Hajj is a lifelong aspiration for Muslims. Many save throughout their lives to undertake this pilgrimage, which is one of the fundamental duties of a devout Muslim.”
“I will also ask Omar (the Chief Minister) to write a letter to the Prime Minister urging him to use his influence to restore the private Hajj quota.”
On Sunday, Mehbooba Mufti, former Chief Minister and President of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), also voiced her concerns regarding this situation.
“Disturbing news is coming from Saudi Arabia. Reports suggest that 80 percent of India’s private Hajj quota has been abruptly slashed. This unexpected decision is causing significant distress for both pilgrims and tour operators nationwide.”
“I urge the Ministry of External Affairs to intervene immediately by addressing this issue with the Saudi government for a resolution,” she stated on social media platform X.
