Hajj pilgrimage-2019 application distribution starts: Minister Zameer Ahmed
Bengaluru, October 20: Minority Welfare, Hajj and Wakf Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan said that the Indian Haj Committee has started the process of distributing the applications for Hajj Pilgrimage 2019 from today.
Inaugurating the process of distributing the Hajj applications for 2019 at Hajj Bhavan at Thirumenahalli in the city on Saturday, the Minister said that for last year’s Hajj pilgrimage, total 18,427 applications were submitted to the State Haj Committee and among them, 6,624 persons were selected through lottery. This time, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi would be urged to increase the quota by 2,000-2,500 for the state, he said.
Action against private tour operators
The cases of private tour operators cheating the pilgrims were increasing. They take the money from the Hajj pilgrimage aspirants and disappear. Those who want to prefer private tour operators for Hajj pilgrimage should confirm whether the tour operators have permission or not. The owner of Hareem Tours of Tilak Nagar had collected amount from 138 persons. But later, he was disappeared. For 2019 Hajj pilgrimage, all the 138 persons would be selected without lottery. Among 138 persons, around 15-20 persons were in economically poor condition and he would send them for the pilgrimage in his own expenses, he said.
“The Hajj Committee has been collecting Rs 2.30 lakh from each person. Of which, Rs 76,000 was being spent for flight ticket. If we take the flight tender, then the cost might be around Rs 36,000. If the central government gives us the Karnataka quota, we could arrange the remaining facilities and it would help the people”, the Minister said.
State Haj Committee Chairman Roshan Baig said that he and Minister Zameer would try to increase the quota this time. Last time, the pilgrims from Karnataka had some accommodation problems in Mecca and Madina. Steps would be taken to avoid such problems next year, he said.
In November-December, Central Haj Committee delegation would visit Mecca and Madina to review the accommodation facilities. Since the process of application submission was started three months before, best accommodation could be expected near the Haram and the tomb of Prophet Muhammad, he said.
Maulana Lutfullah, Maulana Zainul Abidin, State Haj Committee Executive Officer Sarfraz Khan, Members M.S. Arshad, Balqish Banu, Syed Sanaullah, BBMP Member Syed Mujahid and others were present.
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Waqf Bill anti-secular, will snatch rights of Muslims: Mamata Banerjee
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday described the Waqf (Amendment) Bill as “anti-secular”, claiming that it would snatch the rights of Muslims.
Banerjee, speaking in the assembly, also said the Centre did not consult with states over the matter.
“The bill is anti-federal and anti-secular; it is a deliberate attempt to malign a particular section. It will snatch the rights of Muslims... The Centre did not consult with us on the Waqf Bill,” she said.
The chief minister added that “if any religion was attacked”, she would wholeheartedly condemn it.
Opposition parties have stridently criticised the amendments proposed by the bill in the existing Waqf Act, alleging that they violate the religious rights of Muslims.
The ruling BJP has asserted that the amendments will bring transparency in the functioning of the Waqf boards and make them accountable.
A parliamentary committee has been constituted to scrutinise the contentious bill.
