<p align="justify" class="title">The Congress and IUML in Kerala today came out against the Centre's decision to stop subsidy for Haj pilgrims from this year.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Kerala PCC President M M Hassan said the decision was the latest example of the Centre's "enmity" towards the minority community and asked it to retract its decision.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">The decision to stop subsidy for Haj from this year was announced by Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi at New Delhi today.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">The subsidy for Haj pilgrims was a practice in force in the country since the time of Jawaharlal Nehru, Hassan said, adding, "there is no justification to stop it."</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the decision was announced with an ulterior motive.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">As per a Supreme Court order, there was time till 2022 to stop Haj subsidy, he said and alleged that there was a separate agenda behind the decision.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy termed the decision "most unfortunate".</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">"The decision to withdraw subsidy was to divide people and to destroy secularism," he said.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Leaders of IUML, a partner in the Congress-led UDF Opposition in the state, also flayed the Centre's decision to withdraw the subsidy.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty, MP, said his party would oppose it.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">The Centre has taken the decision expecting that it could pay political dividends, Kunhalikutty alleged.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">IUML state general secretary K P A Majeed said though there was time for the government to do away with Haj subsidy, the decision to stop it "hurriedly" was wrong, especially at a time when all arrangements were on for the Haj pilgrimage. </p>
<p align="justify" class="title">The Congress and IUML in Kerala today came out against the Centre's decision to stop subsidy for Haj pilgrims from this year.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Kerala PCC President M M Hassan said the decision was the latest example of the Centre's "enmity" towards the minority community and asked it to retract its decision.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">The decision to stop subsidy for Haj from this year was announced by Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi at New Delhi today.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">The subsidy for Haj pilgrims was a practice in force in the country since the time of Jawaharlal Nehru, Hassan said, adding, "there is no justification to stop it."</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the decision was announced with an ulterior motive.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">As per a Supreme Court order, there was time till 2022 to stop Haj subsidy, he said and alleged that there was a separate agenda behind the decision.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy termed the decision "most unfortunate".</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">"The decision to withdraw subsidy was to divide people and to destroy secularism," he said.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Leaders of IUML, a partner in the Congress-led UDF Opposition in the state, also flayed the Centre's decision to withdraw the subsidy.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty, MP, said his party would oppose it.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">The Centre has taken the decision expecting that it could pay political dividends, Kunhalikutty alleged.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">IUML state general secretary K P A Majeed said though there was time for the government to do away with Haj subsidy, the decision to stop it "hurriedly" was wrong, especially at a time when all arrangements were on for the Haj pilgrimage. </p>