Narendra Modi troubling Muslims, says Lalu on Haj subsidy removal

RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav also targeted Vishwa Hindu Parishad international working president Pravin Togadia.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, who has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail in a fodder scam case, on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Referring to the removal of Haj subsidy by the Narendra Modi government, the RJD supremo said that the Prime Minister was troubling Muslim people with his actions.

The former Bihar chief minister made the remarks after his appearance in court in connection with another fodder scam related case.

He also targeted Vishwa Hindu Parishad international working president Pravin Togadia, who on Tuesday alleged an encounter bid to assassinate him. Lalu questioned as to where Togadia went leaving his z-plus security.

He pointed that Togadia is yet to tell people where he disappeared before being found in an unconscious state.

The attack by the RJD chief on PM Modi comes a day after the government declared that Muslim pilgrims will no longer be given subsidy for Haj from 2018. The announcement was made by Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

The minister added that 1.75 lakh Muslims, highest ever number, will go on Haj this year. He also said that the removal of the subsidy would not affect the cost of the travel for Haj.

He further added that the money saved will be used for the education of minorities, particularly girls. "Haj subsidy funds will be used for educational empowerment of girls and women of minority community," Naqvi said.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs had in 2017, constituted a committee to review the Haj policy and suggest a framework for a new Haj policy for 2018-22.

Naqvi had then said: "A constitutional bench of the Supreme Court had, during the Congress regime in 2012, directed that the Haj subsidy be done away with. Hence, in the new policy, as per the recommendations of a committee, we have decided to do away with the Haj subsidy gradually."