Owaisi Urges Centre to Revoke Extra Haj Surcharge Amid West Asia Crisis

Asaduddin Owaisi, the chief of AIMIM, on Thursday urged the central government to revoke a controversial circular by the Haj Committee of India. This directive mandates an additional $100 surcharge for pilgrims because of the conflicts in West Asia.

Owaisi expressed his concerns in a social media post, highlighting the financial burden already imposed on pilgrims. He pointed out that a sum of Rs 90,844 per pilgrim, nearly double the regular rate for independent travelers, was collected a couple of months ago from the Mumbai Embarkation Point.

Lambasting the circular as exploitative, Owaisi emphasized that most pilgrims are not affluent and spend years saving for a meaningful pilgrimage. He called for the immediate withdrawal of the surcharge and urged refunds. The surcharge was reportedly implemented following airlines' requests for a fare revision due to increased fuel costs in response to the West Asia situation.

(With inputs from agencies.)