The Centre on Thursday lifted the ban on persons with disabilities from performing in Haj.
Ministry of Minority Affairs' Haj Committee of India apprised the Delhi High Court of the amended eligibility criteria, which states that persons with disabilities can now perform Haj.
The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Supreme Court advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal wherein he challenged the Haj Policy on the grounds of being discriminatory to disabled and mentally ill persons. He had alleged that the restrictions stand in violation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
Earlier, in reply to the petition, the Ministry had backed the prohibition, commenting, "Muslim disabled may go there and beg."
"It is nothing but an insult of Indians and divyangs," the petitioner had said.
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