Describing the accommodation to all religious groups in the country’s welfare schemes as the hallmark of secularism and democracy, the Supreme Court on Friday upheld the validity the Haj Act facilitating the grant of travel subsidy to Muslims for Haj pilgrimage every year.
“In this sub-continent, with all its tremendous diversity, the only policy which can work and provide for stability and progress is secularism and giving equal respect to all communities, sects denominations,” a bench of Justices Markandey Katju and Gyan Sudha Misra said, while upholding the constitutional validity of the Haj Committee Act, 1959 and the 2002 amendment made in it by Parliament.
“Parliament has the legislative competence to enact the Haj Act in view of the ‘Engry-20 to List-1’ of the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which refers to pilgrimage to places outside India,” the Supreme Court bench said while dismissing a petition by Prafull Goradia, challenging the grant of travel subsidy to Muslims and also the validity of the Haj Act.