Khurshid urges private tour operators to cut down on number of Haj pilgrims

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Thursday said that the government has directed private tour operators to cut down the number of Haj pilgrims this year by 20 percent.

"This year Saudi Arabia has instructed us to cut off the number of Haj pilgrims by 20 percent. Keeping the renovation work process there, they have reduced their own quota of 2013 Haj pilgrims by 50 percent and for other countries by 20 percent," said Khurshid.

'There will be no reduction in the pilgrims under the government's Haj panel, but the commercial quota of private tour operators will be reduced by 20 percent," he added.

Saudi Arabia has reduced the quota for all countries by 20 percent and its own by 50 percent.

Khurshid, however, said that there would be no reduction in the number of pilgrims under the government's quota whereas the private operators are expected to trim down by 20 percent.

He also appealed to the members of the Haj Committee to explain this situation to the people.

Khurshid also released a booklet on guidelines for the Haj pilgrims along his with Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed.

In Islam, Haj is a religious ritual, of pilgrimage to Mecca and Madina, the sacred places revered by Muslims around the world.