Hyderabad: The Telangana government has issued a circular permitting Muslim employees to leave offices an hour early during the holy month of Ramzan, a move slammed by the opposition BJP which wondered why such measures are not extended during Hindu festivals.
The saffron party dubbed the move as appeasement politics, but the ruling dispensation said it was nothing new.
According to official sources, the government has permitted its Muslim employees to leave offices at 4 PM, ahead by an hour during Ramzan, from March 3 to March 31, except when their presence is required due to exigencies of service.
The move is aimed at facilitating Muslim employees to offer prayers and attend to other Ramzan-related activities during the Holy month
The relaxation of one hour applies to all Muslim employees, including teachers, contract and outsourcing staff, as well as employees working in boards, corporations, and the public sector.
Slamming the Telangana government’s decision, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have accused the Revanth Reddy government of engaging in “appeasement politics.”
BJP MLA T Raja Singh said that the Congress party had only gained power by relying on Muslim votes and that such actions represented the peak of appeasement politics, reported India Today.
He argued that this decision would deepen religious divides, stating, “Equal rights for all, or none.”
Adding fuel to the controversy, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya, in a post on X, lambasted the Congress government’s decision as a form of tokenism.
No similar concessions are made for Hindus during festivals such as Navratri when they observe fasting, added Malviya.
He also accused the state government of reducing the religious observances of one community to mere vote bank politics.
