Asaduddin Owaisi criticises Haj airfare hike, seeks withdrawal of circular

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday criticised a fresh circular issued by the Haj Committee of India that asks pilgrims to pay an additional Rs 10,000 as differential airfare, citing the ongoing crisis in West Asia, and demanded that the directive be withdrawn with refunds issued to those affected.

He pointed out that the extra charge is being imposed after an amount of Rs 90,844 per pilgrim has already been collected from



those departing from Mumbai, raising concerns about the financial burden on travellers undertaking the pilgrimage.

The circular, dated April 28, mandates an additional payment of $100 (around Rs 10,000) by May 15 for all Haj pilgrims, irrespective of their embarkation points. The directive comes after airlines sought a revision in base fares due to rising Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) costs linked to the prevailing situation in West Asia.