Shia cleric blames Saudi prince for haj stampede

LUCKNOW: Shia Cleric and Imam-e-Juma of Lucknow, Maulana Kalbe Jawad, has blamed the presence of a Saudi prince for the stampede that killed over 700 pilgrims during Haj in Mina, near Mecca. He also supported demand of Iran that Saudi Arabia should hand over the control of the annual pilgrimage to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the world’s largest body of Muslim nations.
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Haj stampede: 14 Indians among 700 killed
Addressing a gathering of Shia after prayers, Jawad, who is also general secretary of Majlis-e-Ulama-e-Hind, an all India body of clerics, said that the prince came in his car along with the convoy to throw pebble for the `stoning of the devil' ritual.Referring to a video of the price gone viral on social media, he claimed that seven out of 13 roads were closed due to presence of prince and his convoy, forcing pilgrims coming from different directions to converge at a point, leading to panic and stampede. Demanding action against those responsible for the tragedy, Jawad said that the video that prince was throwing pebbles from inside the car that led to mismanagement.
The Saudi Arabia officials have already rejected Iran's allegations blaming the prince for the stampede.
READ ALSO: Iran blames Saudi Arabia for haj disaster