Haj pilgrimage: Saudi Arabia lifts restrictions on number, age limit, after three years
Riyadh: After imposition of restrictions for three years to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, Saudi Arabia will not limit the number of pilgrims for this year's Haj, Tawfiq Al Rabiah, Minister of Haj and Umrah, has said.
Addressing reporters in Riyadh on Monday, Al Rabiah said that the age limit too will not be imposed on the pilgrims, whose number will return to what it was prior to the pandemic outbreak, reports Khaleej Times.
The pilgrimage, which is one of the five pillars of Islam and which all able-bodied Muslims with the means are required to perform at least once, is scheduled for June.
About 2.5 million people took part in the rituals in 2019, but in the next two years, the number of pilgrims was cut down drastically due to Covid-19.
Nearly 900,000 pilgrims – including about 780,000 pilgrims from abroad – were welcomed to Makkah and Madinah in 2022.
The rules were set down last year that the pilgrims had to be under 65 years of age, necessarily have been vaccinated against Covid-19 and also present a negative test against the pandemic.
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'The Ba**ds of Bollywood’ mirrors my life, damages my reputation: Sameer Wankhede tells Delhi HC
New Delhi: IRS officer Sameer Wankhede has submitted his reply to the Delhi High Court in the defamation case he filed against Red Chillies Entertainment, the production company owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan. The case pertains to the recently released series The Ba**ds of Bollywood*, which Wankhede claims has defamed him.
In his statement to the court, Wankhede asserted that the show’s portrayal of a police officer is clearly based on him and has caused serious harm to his public image. He cited four key reasons supporting his claim.
First, he said the character in question bears physical similarities to him, including facial and body features. Second, he noted that the character’s working style and mannerisms closely resemble his own.
Third, Wankhede highlighted that the officer in the show is depicted making a high-profile arrest involving a major film personality, which he said directly mirrors his own involvement in the Aryan Khan drug case.
Fourth, he pointed out that the character frequently uses the phrase “Satyameva Jayate,” a motto he himself had used during media interactions in the course of that investigation. He argued that using the national motto in such a context cannot be dismissed as creative expression or humour.
Wankhede also referred to an interview in which Aryan Khan allegedly admitted that the show was “inspired by some real events.” This, he said, contradicts Red Chillies Entertainment’s claim that The Ba**ds of Bollywood* is purely fictional.
He further alleged that the tone and intent of the series indicate personal and institutional vendetta, aimed at discrediting and defaming him rather than engaging in artistic storytelling.
Wankhede informed the court that the fallout from the show has affected his family, with his wife and sister receiving abusive and vulgar messages online.
Rejecting Red Chillies’ argument that he is a “thin-skinned” officer, Wankhede said that a public servant cannot be expected to tolerate false and damaging portrayals simply because of his position. He emphasized that his legal action seeks to protect the constitutional rights and dignity of both himself and his family.
