Hope UP govt will take stern steps to check violence: Rehman

Terming the Muzaffarnagar riots as unfortunate, Minority Affairs Minister K Rehman Khan today voiced hope that Uttar Pradesh government will "fulfil its responsibility" and take stern steps to check the violence.
He also asked the people to maintain peace and harmony and not pay heed to rumours.
"This is really unfortunate. I hope that Uttar Pradesh government will fulfil its responsibility and take stern steps to control the violence and provide security to the innocent people," Rehman told reporters after a function organised by by Delhi Haj Committee for the first batch of 300 Haj pilgrims which left for Jeddah today.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Delhi Revenue Minister Arvinder Singh and Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to India Saud M Al Sati were also present on the occasion.
Diskhit assured the pilgrims that the Delhi Haj Committee has made all preparations for a safe and successful pilgrimage but "if they face any problem, the Delhi Government is ready to extend all possible help."
She said for those pilgrims, who have been stuck due to violence in Muzaffarnagar, it was responsibility of state government to provide them help and Home Ministry was also taking care of it.

Saudi Arabia this year slashed by 20 per cent the Haj quota for all foreign pilgrims, including from India, to facilitate the infrastructure work being carried out around the sacred site of 'Haram Sharif' and to keep the area safe and secure for pilgrims.

Under the India-Saudi Arabia bilateral agreement on Haj 2013, inked on March 16 in Jeddah, the quota for India was fixed at 1,70,025 seats -- comprising 125,025 seats for the Haj Committee of India (HCOI), Mumbai, and 45,000 for pilgrims going through private tour operators (PTOs).
But the Saudi authorities in June announced a 50 per cent cut in the Haj quota on local Saudi applicants and 20 per cent on foreign Haj pilgrims, due to which India's quota went down from 1,70,025 seats to 1,36,020 seats.