Haj 2021: Centre welcomes Saudi Arabia's decision of not allowing foreign pilgrims amid COVID-19

Reacting to Saudi Arabia's decision not to allow pilgrims from outside the country to go on Haj this year due to COVID-19, the government had said that it supports the decision.

Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday said that the government had done the arrangements for Haj 2021 but it is with Riyadh on the decision.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and I had already said that we are with the decision of Saudi Arabia. We had done all the arrangements for Haj 2021, we were only waiting for Saudi Arabia's decision and we are with their decision," Naqvi told news agency ANI.

Saudi Arabia has taken the decision in the interests of people's safety and health, he said. 

Naqvi expressed happiness that Saudi Arabia has allowed women to go on Haj without accompanied by 'Mehram' (male partner).

"India has already taken this decision three years ago under the leadership of PM Modi. Many questions were raised then. After getting rid of this malpractice, around 5,000 women had gone on Haj that year," he added.

Earlier today, the Haj Committee of India informed that all the applications for Haj-2021 stands cancelled.

"The Ministry of Haj and Umrah, Kingdom of Saudia Arabia issues a statement informing that due to Corona Pandemic Conditions 'The Kingdom of Saudia Arabia has decided to allow citizens and residents inside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia only to attend Haj 1442 in limited numbers. International Haj has been cancelled'," said a circular by the Haj Committee of India.

"Hence, it has been decided by the Haj Committee of India that all the applications for Haj-2021 stand cancelled," it added.

Haj is an annual Muslim pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, where people of the Islamic faith converge for one of the largest gatherings from all over the world.

(With ANI inputs)