Patna: The Assam Assembly has decided to end the two-hour break traditionally granted to Muslim members for Friday prayers. Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary made the announcement on Friday, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirming that the decision will take effect from the next session of the Assembly. The move has ignited a political debate, with several parties opposing the decision.
Opposition to the Decision
The Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)), an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has voiced strong opposition to the decision. Neeraj Kumar, JD(U)’s chief spokesperson and former Bihar minister, criticised the Assam government’s stance, calling it unconstitutional. “All religions have the right to keep their traditions and customs alive,” Kumar said. He further argued that if the Assam government believes this decision will increase productivity, it should also consider ending the ‘sacrificial system’ at the Kamakhya temple. “No one has the right to attack religious practices,” he added.
Despite JD(U) being a part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and having a significant role in the central government, the party has taken a different stance on this issue. Although JD(U) has no presence in Assam, it remains a key player in Bihar’s politics, where it governs in alliance with the BJP.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), a major opposition party in Bihar, has also criticised the Assam government’s decision. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav accused the Assam Chief Minister of targeting Muslims to gain “cheap popularity” and trying to emulate Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. “BJP people have made Muslim brothers soft targets to spread hatred and polarise society,” Yadav asserted.
Backlash from AIUDF and Others
In Assam, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has also expressed its discontent. AIUDF MLA Mujibur Rahman said, “Every Friday we used to get one or two hours for namaz. This system was in place since 1936 and has continued for nearly 90 years. Many governments and Chief Ministers have come and gone, but they did not face any problem. We don’t know what problem the current CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has. They are trying to eliminate Muslims.”
A Broader Trend?
This decision follows a similar move in the Rajya Sabha, where the provision of additional time for Friday prayers was recently scrapped. Previously, the lunch break on Fridays in the Rajya Sabha was extended by 30 minutes, from 1 pm to 2:30 pm, to accommodate namaz. However, this rule was changed by Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. Currently, the lunch break is from 1 pm to 2 pm, aligning with the Lok Sabha schedule.
The controversy began on 8 December 2023, when DMK MP Tiruchi Siva raised the issue during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha. He pointed out that the House now resumes at 2 pm on Fridays instead of 2:30 pm as it had previously. Siva questioned why members were not informed about the schedule change, prompting a broader discussion about the new regulations.
Comments are closed.