An RTI filed by Pune-based businessman and activist Prafful P Sarda on April 11, 2025, has revealed how successive governments spent public money on providing Hajj subsidies to Muslims. According to the RTI response, during the UPA regime (2004-2014), the Congress government spent a whopping amount of ₹6,560 crore on Hajj subsidies. This means the Congress government spend an average of ₹656 crore of taxpayers’ money on Hajj subsidies every year.
In contrast, the Hajj subsidy was reduced during the Modi-led NDA government (2014–2017). The Modi government spent only ₹1,137 on Hajj subsidies during the entire period, significantly bringing the annual average down to ₹379 crore per year. And subsequently, in 2018, the Modi government entirely abolished the Hajj subsidy, putting an end to the appeasement politics.
The total amount of public money spent on Hajj subsidies during the 13 years before its abolition amounts to ₹7,697 crore. Activist Prafful Sarda said that the UPA government had been treating the majority population unfairly. “For years, the majority population in this country has been treated like second-grade citizens. Taxpayers Funded Hajj for Years — Why Not Amarnath & Char Dham?” Prafful said.
