Centre moves SC over HC ban on Haj subsidy

New Delhi: Centre on Monday moved the Supreme Court challenging an order of the Allahabad High Court stopping subsidy for sending over one lakh Haj pilgrims on the ground that upturning the existing regime would be fraught with loss of revenue, as well as an embarrassment in the international arena.
Seeking a stay on the HC order that could hinder the Haj in November, the Centre in its special leave petition (SLP) said the government has already entered into an agreement with the Saudi government as well as its official airlines for transporting the pilgrims and any change of plan at this eleventh hour would see India losing its face in international fora in addition to suffering a huge financial loss.
Most of the arguments put by the government in the SLP, which is likely to be mentioned before the court on Tuesday, were identical to what Solicitor General G E Vahanvati had argued before the HC.
12/09/06 Times of India

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