UP Clerics Hail Centre’s Decision to End Discretionary Hajj Quota 

Lucknow: Muslim leaders and clerics of Uttar Pradesh have welcomed the Centre’s decision to do away with the discretionary Hajj quota in keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘resolve to end VIP culture’ in the country. 

The leader of the minority community appreciated the Centre’s move and asserted it will end discrimination among Hajj pilgrims. 

Mohsin Raza, Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh State Hajj Committee said Islam does not have any VIP culture. 

“In the ‘darbar’ of Allah, everybody is equal,” said Mohsin Raza.

Echoing the words of Uttar Pradesh State Hajj Committee, Lucknow’s prominent Muslim cleric Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali said the Modi government’s decision to end the discretionary Hajj quota is a positive outcome. 

“The number of Hajj pilgrims will increase. Most importantly, if one has to visit the home of the almighty, then one does not need any source or seek any form of discrimination,” Maulana Farangi Mahali said. 

The spokesperson of All India Shia Personal Law Board Maulana Yasoob Abbas and Uttar Pradesh's minister of state for minority welfare, Muslim Waqf and Hajj Danish Azad Ansari also welcomed the central government’s decision. They said Namaz and Hajj are prayers. Since there is no discrimination among the mosque goers, therefore, there should not be any discrimination among the Hajj pilgrims either. 

With the suspension of discretionary Hajj quota, this year a total of 1,75,025 Hajj pilgrims, including 31,000 from Uttar Pradesh would be able to perform Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, the holiest site in Islam. 

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