Police in Uttar Pradesh have arrested three individuals for allegedly defrauding several people by promising to arrange their Haj pilgrimage. The accused collected money but neither facilitated the pilgrimage nor returned the funds.
An 'illegally' constructed mosque within the Saharanpur district collectorate complex was demolished following a court order, drawing strong condemnation from opposition parties who accused the government of engaging in 'politics of hate' and undermining social harmony.
The incident took place on Sunday morning at the city's Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport and all passengers were deboarded safely. No harm was caused to the aircraft.
From Manavalan to Kannan Srank, a tribute to the unforgettable Salim Kumar who made generations of Malayalis laugh with his signature humour.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has criticised the deployment of CRPF armoured vehicles during the Assembly elections, accusing the BJP-led Centre of using government resources to favour their party. She also addressed concerns of potato farmers and urged them to sell their produce in other states.
Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Wednesday extolled the sacrifice and martyrdom of senior Iranian armed forces leaders as the conflict in West Asia enters into its second month.
A video of Sattar's visit to the Shiva temple in Rahimabad in his assembly constituency Sillod on the occasion of Mahashivratri on Sunday went viral on social media, triggering protests from the BJP and other outfits.
Pakistan's cricket captain is with his mother in Mecca; Rizwan is with his mother and wife.
In a bid to control the coronavirus pandemic, Saudi Arabia said it has barred international visitors from making the Islamic pilgrimage.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), a sister organisation of the Bajrang Dal, said its workers carried out the act to register their protest against Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor's recent statement regarding minorities.
The Congress party has criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi's handling of GST reforms, calling them inadequate and demanding an apology for the tax imposed on essential items. They argue that the reforms are merely a 'band-aid' solution and that the government should address the states' demand for extended compensation.
"Earlier Haj House was made in Ghaziabad. Our government constructed Kailash Mansarovar Bhawan. Earlier the mafia used to harass traders, but now no mafia can dare to grab property of any trader, doctor or a poor person...," he said.
His decision to put off the week-long visit for Haj also comes amid speculation of an impending reshuffle in the Union Cabinet.
Complaining about "woefully inadequate," allotment of the Haj quota to the state, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Saturday sought the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to enhance the number.
While 221 Indian pilgrims died during the Haj in 2007 due to natural causes, six others were killed in road accidents.
'The government used to give subsidy to reduce loss of Air India'
'They wanted the city to be a great business hub. They didn't like the fact that taxes collected in Bombay would go outside the city.'
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday demanded that the Centre should increase quota of Haj pilgrims from the state.
The government had earlier issued a notice to Singh, seeking an explanation on whose ordered its office boundary wall to be painted saffron and why it was subsequently repainted.
The CM said the state government has been extending grant for the Hindus and the Christians for their overseas pilgrimage.
The Bhartiya Janata Party has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the issue.
"This is part of our policy to empower minorities with dignity and without appeasement," Naqvi said.
'Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience caused,' the airline added.
Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba and pray at the Grand mosque during the annual Haj pilgrimage in the holy city of Mecca, ahead of Eid al-Adha which marks the end of Haj.
"The fare to be charged from the pilgrims for Haj 2008 will continue to be Rs 12,000 per pilgrim. There will be no increase," Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi said after a meeting of the Union Cabinet. As many as 1,23,211 pilgrims will travel on subsidised fare this year as compared to 1.15 lakh in October last year, he said.
The Haj Committees and Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam Ltd, which organise the religious pilgrimages will not have to Service Tax.
A seemingly innocuous word, "bhai" (brother), led to a 13-minute disruption in the Delhi Assembly on Thursday, with the ruling BJP and the opposition AAP engaging in heated exchanges. The incident began when PWD minister Parvesh Verma used the word during a debate on the Teerth Yatra Samiti, prompting AAP MLAs to accuse him of disrespect. Three AAP MLAs were marshalled out by the Speaker amid the uproar, which even saw BJP legislators chanting slogans of "Chhathi maiya ki jai".
Control Rooms have been set up in Indian Haj Mission, Makkah, Consulate General of India, Jeddah, and the Indian Embassy in Riyadh
'6 shooters went to kill Dawood in Pakistan.'
Thousands of Muslims posing in front of holy sites for a selfie during the Haj, has angered some conservative clerics and sparking a debate over legitimacy of such actions during the annual pilgrimage.
The first batch of 401 state pilgrims on Tuesday left for Haj in two Air India flights from the Srinagar international airport.
Sarfaraz Ahmad Khan went on his first Haj in 1972.
Welcoming the Supreme Court order on abolishing Haj subsidy, Law Minister Salman Khurshid on Tuesday said the government had been working on the issue "in the same direction" over the years.
Geelani cleared for Haj pilgrimage: J&K govt
"Around 45,000 pilgrims will perform Haj through private tour operators," External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh said at the Annual Haj Conference in New Delhi.
BJP says it doesn't make sense to rollback fuel subsidy while maintaining Central patronage for Haj pilgrimage.
Saffron has virtually permeated everything -- from booklets and school bags to towels or chairs and even buses. And the Qaiser Bagh police station seems to be the latest on the list.
"The Haj subsidy of Rs 600 crore is given to Air India and not pilgrims... Under this garb of subsidy, it (money) is going to Air India which is a sick airline," Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi told reporters outside Parliament.
The first batch of 900 pilgrims on Thursday left for Jeddah in three flights from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi to attend the annual Haj pilgrimage.
