Muslim pilgrims from India will miss the Haj pilgrimage in the wake of Saudi Arabia asking not to send any pilgrims because of the wide spread coronavirus pandemic.
Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday said that it was decided that Muslims from India will not go to Saudi Arabia to perform Haj. The Minister said that he received a call from Haj and Umrah Minister of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten who asked not to sent any pilgrim to perform Haj this year because of the pandemic.
Naqvi said that2.13 lakh applications were received for Haj 2020. “The process has been started to immediately refund full amount of money deposited by the applicants without any deduction. The money will be refunded through online DBT mode into bank accounts of the applicants,” he said.
He said that more than 2300 women had applied to perform Haj without Mehram this year. These women will be allowed to go to Haj in 2021 on the basis of their application for Haj 2020. Besides, women who file new application will also be allowed to go to Haj next year. He informed that a total of two lakh Muslims from India had performed Haj in 2019.
The Saudi Arabia Ministry of Haj and Umrah issued a statement on Monday that Haj will be performed this year only in a limited manner. “Due to Corona pandemic and the risks of Coronavirus spreading in crowded spaces and large gatherings, it has been decided that Haj for this year (1441 H/ 2020 AD) will be held whereby a very limited number of pilgrims from various nationalities who already reside in Saudi Arabia, would be able to perform it. This decision is taken to ensure Haj is performed in a safe manner from a public health perspective while observing all preventative measures and the necessary social distancing protocols,” the statement said.
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