Hajj Committee of India calls off pilgrimage
Srinagar: For the second consecutive year, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced cancellation of international Hajj for the year 2021, saying that it will only allow the citizens and residents inside the kingdom for the pilgrimage.
In wake of the decision taken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Hajj Committee of India also announced cancellation of all applications for the Hajj this year.
“The Ministry of Haj & Umrah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia issued a statement informing that due to Corona Pandemic conditions ‘The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has decided to allow citizens and residents inside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia only to attend Haj 1442 in limited numbers. International Haj has been cancelled,” a circular issued by Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Maqsood Ahmed Khan, reads.
“Hence it has been decided by the Haj Committee of India that all the applications for Haj-2021 stands cancelled,” the circular reads. The annual pilgrimage starts from mid-July.
Earlier Saudi Arabia had said that this year’s hajj pilgrimage will be limited to no more than 60,000 people, all of them from within the kingdom, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.