New Delhi [India], October 22 (ANI): AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday urged the Centre to intervene and facilitate the return of around 4,000 Indian Umrah pilgrims allegedly stranded in Medina, Jeddah and Mecca for the past two to three weeks, citing severe hardship and a lack of assistance from their travel agents.
Owaisi called on the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to immediately grant permission to IndiGo, Akasa Air and Air India to operate larger aircraft to Jeddah to bring back the stranded pilgrims.
He said the pilgrims had travelled through these three airlines and were facing difficulties after being left to fend for themselves by their travel agents.
“For the past two to three weeks, approximately 4,000 Indian Umrah pilgrims have been stranded in Medina, Jeddah, and Mecca. They are facing great hardship. Their travel agents have left them to fend for themselves. All 4,000 of these pilgrims travelled via IndiGo Airlines, Akasa Air, and Air India. Currently, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India is not granting permission for these three airlines—IndiGo, Akasa Air, and Air India—to fly to Jeddah. We demand that the DGCA immediately grant permission to these airlines to deploy larger aircraft, such as the A321, to bring back these 4,000 Indian pilgrims who are in a dire situation, having been completely abandoned by the travel agents who took them there,” Owaisi said.
He said that while some pilgrims had been accommodated in places such as Jeddah, the overall situation remained one of severe distress.
Owaisi urged the Centre to take immediate note of the matter in view of the changing circumstances in Saudi Arabia.
He appealed to Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu to intervene and provide assistance.
“While some pilgrims have been accommodated in places like Jeddah, the overall situation is one of severe distress. Given the changing circumstances in that country, we urge the Government of India—specifically the Minister of Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju; the Minister of External Affairs, Dr S Jaishankar; and the Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu—to take immediate note of this matter,” he said.
He also demanded that the government arrange special aircraft if the DGCA did not grant permission to the three airlines to operate larger aircraft for the evacuation.
“If the DGCA does not grant permission, we demand that the Government of India dispatch special aircraft to bring these Umrah pilgrims home. It is important to note that these pilgrims belong to economically disadvantaged backgrounds; they lack the financial means to purchase tickets on Saudi Airlines and are currently in a state of great distress,” he added.
Owaisi also said the pilgrims were facing financial constraints and urged the concerned ministers to ensure that they received immediate assistance and returned safely to India.
“We hope that the External Affairs Minister, the Aviation Minister, and the Minister of Minority Affairs will take note of this, provide immediate assistance to these individuals, and bring them back to India safely,” he added. (ANI)
Related reading
