Mangaluru: Pilgrims left under Hajj Committee care complain lack of basic facilities
Mangaluru: Pilgrims who traveled for Hajj through the Hajj Committee have alleged that they are experiencing major hardships, and that despite their appeals to authorities and representatives, they are receiving inadequate responses.
Earlier the pilgrims complained about proper accommodation being not arranged in Makkah and now, similar issues have arisen in Mina, with an even more dire situation. The Pilgrims claimed that they were being treated as if they had been given the opportunity to perform Hajj through the free quota of the government.
Mumtaz, a resident of Moodbidre, recounted the experience of her daughter, Amatul Ahad, and son-in-law, Muhammad Hisham Irshad, who left for Hajj from Bengaluru on May 22. Mumtaz claimed that both his daughter and son-in-law faced a lot of problems in Makkah and Madina, she said, “The problem is double in Mina. There is no proper bus system from Azizia to Mina. It was instructed to be ready at 3:30 pm on June 14. But the bus came and took the pilgrims the next day. The bus, which was supposed to reach Dhul Hajj in the morning on the 8th, reached after noon. Consequently, they could not access their tents in time, forcing many to wander around on the bus.”
“Despite the government collecting the fixed amount for the pilgrimage, essential arrangements were missing. Pilgrims were not given metro bus passes, and there was a severe lack of drinking and bathing water as well as adequate food. My daughter even sustained a leg injury, but there was no medical treatment available. She was forced to walk 25 km on one occasion, while my son-in-law had to sleep on the streets due to the lack of accommodation. Help finally came from pilgrims from Maharashtra who shared their camp with them,” she added.
Mumtaz further mentioned that her daughter and son-in-law were not the only ones suffering and that around 40 others faced similar problems. She also claimed that several pilgrims from across India reported such issues.
Mumtaz also alleged that attempts to draw attention to these problems have been futile, as officials have not taken responsibility. She stated, “The government, despite receiving the full amount for the pilgrimage, failed to provide necessary facilities, leading to an unsatisfactory Hajj experience. Communication was also hindered due to the unavailability to charge mobile phones.” Mumtaz also urged the government to take appropriate action on behalf of the Haj pilgrims who are facing problems.
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'Rear-guard action': BJP over Mamata accepting sports minister's resignation after Messi event
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Tuesday alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's accepting Aroop Biswas' resignation as the state sports minister is nothing but a "rear-guard action" to douse public anger over the mismanagement of football icon Lionel Messi's event last week.
BJP co-in-charge for West Bengal Amit Malviya alleged that this is also an "open confession" that the Messi event fiasco was not accidental but a government-manufactured disaster, borne out of the poor governance of Banerjee, her ministers and the state bureaucracy.
Banerjee on Tuesday accepted Biswas' resignation as the sports minister in the wake of the controversy over the mismanagement of football icon Messi's event last week, a senior leader of the ruling TMC said.
Biswas, who had written to the chief minister seeking to be relieved of his responsibilities as sports minister, will continue as a cabinet minister, retaining charge of the power department.
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Reacting to the development, Malviya said in a post on X, "TMC Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigns after the Messi fiasco and Mamata Banerjee accepts it in record time."
"Do not mistake this for accountability; this is nothing but a rear-guard action to douse public anger. anger! This is not 'Raj Dharma'," he added.
The BJP leader alleged that the incident was the outcome of "loot" of common people which is "so synonymous" with the TMC.
The incident was also the outcome of the "shameless VIP culture that TMC thrives on and deep-rooted cronyism promoted by Banerjee," he charged.
Malviya further alleged that Biswas' resignation exposes a "collective failure of Mamata Banerjee, her partisan bureaucracy, and her crony cabinet".
"This is a symbolic sacrifice, a political hoax, soon to be buried under layers of bureaucracy, with no justice, no accountability, and no remorse," the BJP leader said, adding, "No resignation will bring back the time lost, the money wasted, or the stolen chance for football lovers to witness Messi in Kolkata."
