What happened: The Middle East Eye reported that the company tasked with collecting the applications and facilitating from prospective Hajj pilgrims living in western countries has close investor ties with the Indian government. It is pertinent to mention that the Saudi authorities had announced that the Hajj pilgrims from Europe, Australia and the US would apply for visas via the government portal Motawif . Details: However, it has irked a controversy as to why the Saudi authorities have hired Modi-linked companies for the Hajj applications. At the same time, Motawif has been reported to have close ties to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian political party BJP. The move by Saudi authorities comes at a time when Muslims are being tortured in India and have been facing violence at the hands of politicians. More: Whereas, the president of Motawif has also been a partner at the venture capital firm Accel India and has been on India’s National Startup Advisory Council since. Subsequently, Accel has also been a long-time investor in Israeli start-ups.