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High Court refuses interim relief on Haj subsidy stay

Final hearing of the case on September 18

Lucknow: The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court on Thursday refused to grant interim relief on the Centre and the State Government's plea seeking removal of the stay on subsidies for Haj and other religious pilgrimage, and posted the matter for September 18.

Solicitor- General G. E. Vahanavati and Uttar Pradesh Advocate- General S. M. A. Kazmi said it would adversely affect arrangements for the Haj pilgrimage and the Kailash Mansarovar yatra.

A division bench comprising Justice A. K. Yog and Justice Shailendra Saxena, while refusing an interim relief, granted a week's time to the petitioner to file a rejoinder and fixed September 18 for the final hearing of the matter. On August 25, the court passing the order on a writ filed by B. N. Shukla of the Shiv Sena in 1995, restraining the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh Government from providing any financial subsidy for Haj or for any pilgrimage by any community. The Government application on Thursday termed the writ as ``political'' and contended that arrangements for the Haj pilgrims had already started.

The Government has already signed an agreement with the Saudi Arabian authorities for sending 1.47 lakh pilgrims for Haj this year, the Centre's counsel submitted. PTI

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