BJP Slams Congress For Telangana Ramzan Relaxation, Then Andhra Partner Announces This
The Andhra Pradesh government, led by NDA’s Chandrababu Naidu, has announced a relaxation in working hours for Muslim employees during the holy month of Ramzan, allowing them to leave their offices an hour early on all working days from 2nd to 30th March. This applies to all government employees, including teachers, contract workers, and those in village and ward secretariats.
This move mirrors a similar decision by the Congress-led Telangana government, which had earlier issued an order granting Muslim employees early leave during Ramzan. The decision in Telangana, however, was met with strong criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which accused the Congress government of appeasement.
BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya took to X to denounce the Telangana government’s move, stating, “The appeasement bug strikes the Congress government in Telangana, which has approved relaxed work hours for Muslim state employees during Ramzan. No such concessions are ever granted to Hindus when they fast during Navratri. This tokenism isn’t about being sensitive to the religious beliefs of one community but about reducing them to a mere vote bank. It should be opposed.”
Despite BJP’s criticism of the Telangana government, its ally in Andhra Pradesh, the ruling TDP, has now implemented a similar measure. The Andhra Pradesh government’s order states that Muslim employees can leave early to perform necessary rituals, provided their presence is not required due to exigencies of service.
The BJP, which has been vocal about what it calls “minority appeasement” in Congress-ruled Telangana, has not yet commented on the decision taken by its Andhra Pradesh partner.
The announcement in both states comes just ahead of the fasting period, which is expected to begin on either 1st or 2nd March, depending on moon sightings. While the Congress-led Telangana government has faced sharp criticism, the silence over Andhra Pradesh’s similar decision has led to accusations of political double standards.
