Shia Waqf Board hails Centre's decision to scrap Haj subsidy

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Jan 16 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi on Tuesday welcomed the Union Government's decision to scrap the Haj subsidy for pilgrims.

In a statement, Rizvi said that the Haj subsidy was anti-Sharia.

Lauding the Centre's decision, he further said that the amount of subsidy will now be utilised for the education of minority children.

The Centre, earlier in the day, abolished the Haj subsidy from this year and described the decision as a part of government policy to 'empower minorities'.

Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi informed that a record number of 1,75,000 Muslims will undertake the Haj pilgrimage from India without any subsidy this year.

Meanwhile, the Congress said it has no issues with the government's decision to abolish the subsidy.

Talking to reporters in New Delhi today, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said the government has withdrawn it four years before the date prescribed by the Supreme Court.

In 2012, the Supreme Court had directed to do away with the subsidy in a phased manner in 10 years and asked to utilize the money for the upliftment of the community in education and other indices of social development.(ANI)