SC clears policy to provide subsidies to Haj pilgrims

New Delhi, May 7 (UNI) The Supreme Court today gave the green signal to the Centre to go ahead with the policy of providing subsidies to Haj pilgrims this year.

A bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice R V Raveendran extended the stay granted against Allahabad High Court judgement, directing the government not to provide subsidies to Haj pilgrims as the same is not provided to the pilgrims of any other religion in the country.

The apex court also cleared the decks to provide subsidies to the pilgrims going to Kailash Mansarovar.

The court extended the stay, after hearing Solicitor General of India G E Vahanvati who contended that the government has already taken steps to provide subsidies to over one lakh Haj pilgrims who have to go to Saudi Arabia and if the stay is not extended it will damage the secular fabric of the country.

The government has to bear an annual burden of over Rs 280 crore in providing subsidies to the pilgrims.

The High Court has passed the stay order on a PIL filed by B N Shukla who challenged the policy of the government on the ground that it was discriminatory as no subsidies provided to pilgrims of Hinduism, Sikhism, Christainity, Buddhism or Jainism. The petitioner has also contended that the present policy of the government was violative of the principle of secularism as these subsidies should be given to all and not to Muslims alone.

The Union government has appealed against the High Court judgement in the Supreme Court and today the court accepted its application seeking the extension of stay.

A bench headed by the then Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal had directed the government to state on affidavit, whether similar subsidies are given to the follower of any other relgion of the country.

UNI