Naqvi urges India to increase Haj pilgrims quota

New Delhi, Oct 12 (UNI) Senior BJP leader and party vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to hold talks with Saudi Arabian authorities to ensure that all applicants for the Haj pilgrimage would be accommodated.

In his letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Naqvi said there were 1.48 lakh applications pending with the Indian Haj Committee while the quota fixed was 100,000, leaving about 48,000 applicants without permission.

''There have been efforts by the government to increase the number every year and if the Indian authorities would talk to their Saudi Arabian counterparts, the matter could be resolved to the satisfaction of all pilgrims, '' Mr Naqvi said.

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