New Delhi: 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Rs 10,000 as differential airfare, citing the ongoing crisis in West Asia, and demanded that the directive be withdrawn with refunds issued to those affected.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. The Haj Committee functions under the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
“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 stated.
The committee explained that the move followed persistent requests from airlines for a base fare increase of more than $400, driven by a sharp rise in ATF prices amid the geopolitical situation in West Asia. It said the decision was taken after examining the facts and consulting relevant stakeholders.
“Accordingly, all pilgrims of Haj 2026 are required to deposit Rs 10,000.00 towards differential airfare by 15.05.2026,” the circular added.
Reacting strongly, Owaisi said that most pilgrims save money for years to undertake what he described as a non-luxury religious journey, and called for the immediate rollback of the circular along with refunds for those who have already paid.
“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, departing from 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 to 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 tagged Rijiju and said, “Sir, withdraw the circular, this is not fair.”
The Ministry of Minority Affairs is yet to respond.
(IANS)
