Chennai, July 26 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa Saturday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi's to increase the Hajj quota for the state owing to a large number of applicants.
She said the Tamil Nadu State Hajj Committee has received 13,159 applications from pilgrims for Hajj 2014.
In letter to Modi, Jayalalithaa said: "Based on the Muslim population, Hajj Committee of India, Mumbai, has allotted only 2,672 seats to the state for Hajj 2014."
She said that out of these, 1,180 seats have been utilized for the reserved category pilgrims and 1,492 pilgrims have been selected under the general category.
"Subsequently, only 100 more seats were allotted by the Hajj Committee, leaving a large number of disappointed applicants," Jayalalithaa said.
Requesting Modi's intervention, she said the ministry of external affairs may be advised to release an additional quota for Tamil Nadu.