CPM says Centre's 'sudden withdrawal' of Haj subsidy arbitrary, motivated by other considerations

New Delhi: The CPM on Wednesday alleged that the government’s move to withdraw the subsidy for Haj was “arbitrary and motivated by other considerations.” The government stopped the subsidy for the annual pilgrimage “abruptly”. The Supreme Court had in 2012 said the subsidy should be phased out over 10 years, it said. “The sudden withdrawal of the subsidy seems arbitrary and motivated by other considerations,” a party statement read. The CPM asserted it never supported “state subsidy or funding of pilgrimages”. After this move, there should be no “central or state government funding” for subsidies and grants for pilgrimages, it said. Minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday announced the scrapping of the subsidy for Haj from 2018, four years ahead of a deadline suggested by the apex court in a 2012 order.