Asaduddin Owaisi asks Centre to end Haj subsidy
Haj subsidy of Rs 690 crore is given to Air India and not the pilgrims, claims AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi.
Hyderabad: AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday asked the government to abolish the subsidy for the Haj pilgrimage.
Claiming that the “Haj subsidy of Rs 690 crore is given to Air India and not the pilgrims, the MP said that the money is going to Air India — which is a sick airline — in the name of subsidy.
In a tweet on his micro-blogging site, Mr Owaisi said Rs 690 crore, which is being used for the Haj subsidy, must be used for the education of Muslim girls.
Mr Owaisi has been demanding the abolition of the subsidy for the Haj pilgrims as he felt that the Muslims don’t need subsidy for their sacred pilgrimage.
Mr Owaisi, however, welcomed the statement of minister of state for minority affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi announcing an increase in the Haj quota from 1.30 lakh to 1.70 lakh by Saudi Arabia.