New Delhi, May 3 -- Union Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Sunday clarified the government's stance on the recent increase in Hajj airfares, stating that the central government intervened to significantly reduce the hike originally proposed by airlines following geopolitical tensions in West Asia.

Union Minister Rijiju explained that the ongoing conflict involving Iran and the US-Israel axis had led to a sharp rise in operational costs for aviation companies, who initially sought a much steeper price revision, speaking to reporters here.

"Some people wrote letters regarding the issue of why the Hajj fare has been increased by $100? Everyone knows that after the war between Iran and the US-Israel, the airlines requested an in...