India bars 300 from haj
2007-11-08 14:48
Srinagar - Indian authorities said on Thursday they had barred 300 Kashmiri Muslims from making this year's annual haj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia because they allegedly had ties to rebels.
"Some 300 would-be pilgrims have failed to clear the CID (Criminal Investigation Department) investigations," Indian Kashmir's hajj minister, Peerzada Mohammed Sayeed, told reporters.
All Indian Muslims intending to conduct the haj, one of the five pillars of Islam and a duty for all Muslims with the financial and physical means, are vetted by the country's security agencies.
A senior police officer said that those who were barred - including separatist politicians - were found to have links to rebels.
Security officials argue that Indian Kashmiris may use the annual event, which is expected to take place in December, to link up with their Pakistani contacts.
Kashmir is in the grip of an 18-year-old insurgency against Indian rule that has so far claimed more than 42 000 lives.
India accuses Pakistan of sponsoring militants, a charge denied by Islamabad.
More than 8 000 Kashmiri Muslims are expected to head to Saudi Arabia for this year's holy trip.