Saudi bans foreign pilgrims for Haj, Indians won’t attend
nNEW DELHI: India announced on Tuesday that it will not send pilgrims for the annual Haj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Union minister for minority affairs. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said money collected for application from more than 230,000 pilgrims will be returned without cancellation deductions through direct transfer. The decision was taken after Saudi Arabia’s haj and umrah minister Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten asked India not to send pilgrims this year, he told reporters. “Honouring the decision of the Saudi Arabia government in view of serious challenges of Corona pandemic and keeping in mind the health and well-being of the people, it has been decided that Muslims from India will not go to Saudi Arabia to perform Haj,” he said.
The Saudi Arabian government said it will place restrictions on foreign arrival for the Haj this year and allow only a limited number of Saudi citizens to make the pilgrimage with social distancing measures.
“2.3 lakh applications had been received for Haj 2020. The process has been started today to immediately refund the full amount of money deposited by the applicant is without any deductions. The money will be refunded through online DBT mode into bank accounts of the applicants,” Naqvi tweeted.
In 2018, the Union government allowed single woman to undertake the pilgrimage without a male escort. Around 2,300 women applied to perform Haj without a male companion this year and they will be allowed in 2021 on the basis of their application this year.
Some 2.5 million pilgrims typically visit the holiest sites of Islam in Mecca and Medina for the week-long Haj, a once-in-alifetime duty for every able-bodied Muslim. Haj is due to start by the end of July.