MARGAO: Around 155 Haj pilgrims from Goa have begun the annual Haj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, with the first batch leaving for Mumbai on Tuesday. Navelim MLA Ulhas Tuenkar, former Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant Kavlekar and Goa Haj Committee Chairman Urfan Mulla flagged off the first batch of pilgrims from the AIM School complex at Rumdamol.
Speaking to the media after the flag-off ceremony, Tuemkar said the support extended to Haj pilgrims showed that the BJP government does not discriminate against citizens on the basis of caste or religion. The Goa Government arranged sleeper coaches for the pilgrims travelling to Mumbai. While some pilgrims travelled by flight, others began their journey by train.
