An RTI reply has revealed that for over two decades, the Government of India provided airfare subsidies exclusively to Muslim pilgrims travelling for Haj, with no comparable subsidy ever extended to the Hindu majority for their religious pilgrimages. The subsidy, which began in the 1990s, was officially discontinued in 2018.
Maharashtra-based RTI activist Prafful P Sarda had sought information from the Haj Committee of India and the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The reply indicates that from 1994 to 2017, the government incurred thousands of crores in the guise of Haj subsidy, reaching a high of Rs 895 crore in 2008. Even in its last year (2017), the subsidy was Rs 200 crore (BE).
| Haj subsidy – RTI – Reply 2004 to 2014 ( Manmohan singh regime)Rs. 6560cr (655 avg per year ) 2014 to 2017 ( Modi Regime ) 1135cr ( 379cr per year ) Total |
6560+ 1137 =7,697 cr in last 13 years
This concession was extended only to pilgrims traveling through the Haj Committee of India under the government quota, with air travel subsidized by the Ministry of Civil Aviation through authorized airlines. No such financial assistance has ever been given to pilgrims traveling to Hindu religious sites like Kailash Mansarovar, Amarnath, or Char Dham.
Prafful Sarda, in response to the RTI disclosure, criticized the government’s policy and called for equal treatment for the Hindu majority. “For years, the majority population of this nation has been treated as second-grade citizens. When will they get equal treatment? Will the government ever spend the same amount of money on the Amarnath Yatra and the Char Dham Yatra?” he demanded.
The Haj Committee also posted statistics regarding pilgrims. Although the subsidy closed in 2018, more than 1.39 lakh pilgrims made Haj in 2024. Haj was postponed in 2020 and 2021 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic but picked up strongly after that.
The problem of selective subsidies has been one of public concern, more so since India proclaims itself a secular republic. A common argument put forth is that taxpayer funds must be utilized equally, without giving advantages to one religion over another.
The final count of 2025 pilgrims will be announced once the Haj for this year