Haj subsidy cancelled: Why Modi govt should stop spending on all religions

Both Central and state governments continue to spend large sums on other pilgrimages and festivals

In compliance with a 2012 interim order of a Muslim judge, Justice Aftab Alam, the Narendra Modi government has now decided to scrap the so-called Haj subsidy. The move has been rightly welcomed by one and all. The BJP has been critical of the Haj subsidy and has consistently maintained that it was put in place to ‘appease’ Muslims, though it does not oppose state spending on Hindu religious events. The court had asked the government to phase out the subsidy over a period of ten years, and the government deserves appreciation for doing