Kashmiri Muslim haj pilgrims greet their relatives before leaving for the Muslim pilgrimage in Mecca, in Srinagar. A total of 7,008 pilgrims performed haj from J&K this year. File
| Photo Credit: Nissar Ahmad
The National Conference (NC) on June 23 objected to the J&K Lieutenant Governor administration’s move to change the protocol and send a Deputy Commissioner-level officer to receive haj pilgrims at the Srinagar airport in J&K this year.
A NC spokesman said there was a precedent that the head of State, specifically the Chief Minister, along with his Ministers, has always welcomed the first batch of hajis at the Srinagar airport and greeted them upon their return.
“In a significant departure from this practice, it was low-ranking bureaucrats who received the first group of haj pilgrims at Sheikh-ul-Alam International Airport Srinagar yesterday [June 22],” a NC spokesman said.
Also read: Unaccompanied in Mecca: women pilgrims recall a fulfilling journey
The first batch of pilgrims arrived in Srinagar on June 22 and was received by Deputy Commissioner, Budgam, Akshay Labroo and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Budgam, Nikhal Borkar.
“This change not only represents a shift in protocol in a Muslim-majority state but also deeply hurts the sentiments of many,” the spokesman said.
A total of 7,008 pilgrims performed haj from J&K this year. Ten pilgrims lost their lives due to the unprecedented heat wave witnessed during the pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. At least 37 women performed the pilgrimage without a Mahram, a male companion.
