Owaisi urges Centre to bring back 4,000 Indian pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia

AIMIM chief said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) should allow airlines to deploy larger aircraft to bring the pilgrims home.

Asaduddin Owaisi Photo | IANS

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday said around 4,000 Indian pilgrims were stranded in Makkah and Madina after airlines suspended flights to Saudi Arabian cities amid the security situation, urging the Centre to facilitate their return.

Owaisi said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) should allow airlines to deploy larger aircraft to bring the pilgrims home. Alternatively, he said, the government should arrange special flights to evacuate them.

He sought the intervention of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and other Union Ministers.

4,000 pilgrims from India are stuck in Makkah & Madina.They had flown via @IndiGo6E @AkasaAir @airindia but are now stuck there since these Airlines have cancelled their flights. @DGCAIndia must give these airline’s permission to run flights in larger aircraft’s so that these stranded pilgrims can return to India if not at least specified flights must be arranged to bring them back.

— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) October 22, 2026

"The Indian pilgrims have been abandoned by their travel agents. This needs your urgent intervention; in the meanwhile necessary support must be provided to the stranded pilgrims," he said.

He tagged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu

Ram Mohan Naidu, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in his post.

(With Inputs from PTI)