New Delhi: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday criticised a recent circular issued by the Haj Committee of India that mandates an additional payment of Rs 10,000 as differential airfare for pilgrims, and demanded its immediate withdrawal along with refunds for those already affected.
He said the extra charge has been imposed despite pilgrims having already paid Rs 90,844 each, particularly those departing from the Mumbai embarkation point, and raised concerns over the increasing financial burden on those undertaking the pilgrimage.
The circular, dated April 28, requires all Haj pilgrims to pay an additional USD 100 (around Rs 10,000) by May 15, irrespective of their embarkation point. It follows a revision in airfare due to airlines seeking higher base fares amid rising Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) costs, linked to the ongoing crisis in West Asia. The Haj Committee operates under the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
According to the directive, “All pilgrims of Haj 2026 are hereby notified that, in view of extraordinary circumstances arising out of the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, a one-time revision in airfare for Haj 2026 Air Charter Operations has been approved by the Ministry of Minority Affairs vide letter No. HAJ-17/19/2025-HAJ-MoMA(C-147720) dated 28.04.2026. The revised airfare entails an additional amount of USD 100 per pilgrim, irrespective of embarkation point, to be borne by the pilgrims.”
The circular further stated that all pilgrims are required to deposit Rs 10,000 towards differential airfare by May 15.
It also noted that the decision followed repeated requests from airlines for a base fare increase of over USD 400 due to a sharp rise in ATF prices amid geopolitical tensions in West Asia. The committee said the move was taken after examining all facts and consulting relevant stakeholders.
Reacting strongly, Owaisi said most pilgrims save money for years to undertake what he described as a non-luxury religious journey. He called for the immediate rollback of the circular and refund of the additional amount already collected.
“The Haj Committee is demanding an additional Rs 10,000 from Haj pilgrims as ‘differential airfare’. This is despite collecting Rs 90,844 per pilgrim a couple of months ago from those departing the Mumbai Embarkation Point. This is almost double the prevalent rates for individual travellers,” he said in a post on X, tagging Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu.
“Are pilgrims being punished for going through the Haj Committee? This is just exploitation and nothing else. Most pilgrims are not wealthy; they save money for years to be able to go for Haj. This is not a luxury for them. The circular must be withdrawn immediately, and the pilgrims must be refunded the money taken from them,” he added.
In a separate post, Owaisi again urged Minister Kiren Rijiju to withdraw the circular, saying, “Sir, withdraw the circular, this is not fair.”
The Ministry of Minority Affairs has not yet responded.
With IANS inputs