New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has taken the responsibility of laying down the Hajj policy for the year 2012 on itself, in the course of hearing a petition on the Bombay High court’s order by which it directed the Centre to give quota of 800 Haj pilgrims to private operators so that they may not be wasted.
The Apex Court termed the VIP quota for Haj pilgrims as a “bad religious practice.” Taking exception to the government quota for the Haj pilgrims, the court said: “May be it has a political use but it is a bad religious practice. It is not really Haj.”
Justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana Prakash Desai were concerned over difficulties being faced by Haj pilgrims going to Mecca every year.
The apex court was hearing the centre’s petition challenging the Oct 5, 2011 Bombay High Court order by which it was directed to give quota of 800 Haj pilgrims to private operators so that it may not be wasted.
