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Haj 2021 will depend on Saudi Arabia's decision, says Union minister Naqvi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India will stand with the Saudi government's decision for haj 2021, Naqvi said.
The Union minister for minority affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Saturday said there is no clarity yet if the annual haj pilgrimage will be possible this year or not and the decision will depend on the Saudi Arabia government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India will stand with the Saudi government's decision, Naqvi added, reported news agency ANI.
"Haj will depend on the decision of the Saudi Arabia government. PM Narendra Modi has said India will stand by the side of the Saudi govt in their decision. Last year Haj got canceled. This year nothing has been decided yet," ANI quoted Naqvi as saying.
Also read | Only 'immunised' pilgrims to Mecca allowed: Saudi authorities
Saudi Arabia last year banned outside pilgrims from taking part in haj to contain the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Only a limited number of domestic pilgrims were allowed to perform haj. The restriction was the first such ban in recent history on what is considered the most significant pilgrimage for Muslims all around the world.
On Thursday, the world's largest Muslim majority nation, Indonesia cancelled the haj pilgrimage for the second consecutive year amid the concerns of the increasing spread of Covid-19.
"Due to the pandemic and for the safety of the pilgrims, the government has decided that this year it won't allow Indonesian pilgrims to go again," Reuters quoted the country's religious affairs minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas as saying.
Saudi Arabia has relaxed a ban on travellers coming from 11 countries that were imposed to prevent the spread of the virus, but quarantine measures will be required to follow, Saudi state news agency said, according to the Reuters report.
Also read | Covid-19: Saudi Arabia to organize Mecca pilgrimage under special conditions
Earlier in March, the Saudi health ministry said that it will allow vaccinated people to attend haj this year, as per media reports.
Around 2.5 million pilgrims used to visit the most sacrosanct site of Islam in Mecca and Medina to perform the week-long haj, and the lesser, year-round umrah pilgrimage, which cumulatively helped the kingdom to gain around $12 billion annually, as per the official data, Reuter reported.
