By The Sampadak Express
The Congress-led Telangana government has announced reduced work hours for Muslim employees during the fasting month of Ramzan, drawing sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Telangana Chief Secretary issued an order allowing Muslim employees to leave work an hour earlier during Ramzan, which begins on March 1 or 2, depending on the moon sighting. The order applies to Muslim teachers, contractual workers, outsourcing staff, and employees in public sector units. However, employees are expected to remain at work if there are urgent service requirements.
The official order states: “Government hereby permits all Muslim government employees/teachers/contract/out-sourcing/boards/corporations and public sector employees to leave their offices/schools at 4 pm during Ramzan (March 2 to 31), to offer necessary prayers, except when their presence is required due to exigencies of services.”
BJP Slams Congress Over ‘Appeasement’ Tactics
The BJP has strongly condemned the move, accusing the Congress of appeasement. BJP IT Cell in-charge Amit Malviya criticized the Telangana government for granting relaxed work hours to Muslim employees while not offering similar concessions to Hindus during Navratri. He accused Congress of reducing the Muslim community to a vote bank, calling the move “tokenism” rather than a genuine gesture of religious sensitivity.
Arrangements for Ramzan Prayers
Meanwhile, Telangana’s Minorities Welfare Department is preparing for the holy month with special arrangements at prominent mosques, including the Makkah Masjid and Shahi Masjid, to accommodate the religious observances of Ramzan.
Ramzan is a month dedicated to fasting, prayers, and self-reflection, concluding with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr.
