Hyderabad: The BJP’s “incompatible stand”—attacking the Congress government in Telangana over easing work hours for Muslim employees during Ramzan month but keeping mum on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Andhra Pradesh providing the same relief to the minority community—was called out as “hypocritical” by the Congress.
The Revanth Reddy government in Telangana has been facing flak from the Opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Hindu groups, such as the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), for giving a one-hour relaxation for Muslim employees during Ramzan “while denying such exemptions to Hindus during Navratri”.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Tuesday slammed the Congress administration for permitting all Muslim workers in the government sector, including teachers, workers in Public Sector Undertakings, and contract workers, to leave their offices at 4 pm instead of the usual 5 pm for a whole month “to offer necessary prayers”.
At an interactive meeting with graduates, as part of the BJP’s campaign for the upcoming Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad-Karimnagar graduates’ MLC polls, Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay asked whether the “law does not apply equally for all under the Congress rule?”
“Fine, (Muslims) can leave early. But what sin have Lord Ayyappa, Anjaneya, Bhavani and Shiva devotees—who also endure dietary restrictions, and follow rigorous rituals—committed that the Congress government denies them relief while allowing exemptions to only one group?” Bandi Sanjay, also MoS Home Affairs, asked at an address in Mancherial Tuesday evening.
Questioning “the Congress government’s discrimination against one religion”, the former Telangana BJP chief also said, “Are Congress leaders, activists Hindus at all? Is it not Hindu blood in you?”, adding that “for questioning such injustices we are branded as communal”.
Responding, Telangana Congress called out the BJP’s “two-facedness”.
“The BJP’s attacks here in a Congress-ruled state and silence in Andhra, where it is in the NDA government, shows the party’s quest is purely political—for the sake of votes. If the BJP is concerned about Hindus or Dharma, why is it not making it an issue in Andhra?” Adi Srinivas, a senior Congress leader and government whip in the state assembly, told ThePrint.
The Telangana government circular—dated 15 February—providing Ramzan month relief to Muslim employees came to light on Tuesday when BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya posted it on ‘X’.
Muslim staff are permitted to leave early “to offer necessary prayers”, “except when their presence is required due to exigencies of services during the period”, according to the circular issued by Telangana Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari.
“This tokenism”, Malviya commented on ‘X’, “isn’t about being sensitive to the religious beliefs of one community but about reducing them to a mere vote bank. That should be opposed.”
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, too, took objection, with the outfit’s national spokesperson Vinod Bansal terming the Congress government’s decision as “Muslim appeasement reaching its limit”.
Many Muslims fast through the daylight hours during the Ramzan month, which will likely begin on 1 March this year.
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NDA government order in Andhra Pradesh
While BJP leaders, such as Malviya, have dug up the Telangana circular to accuse the Congress government of Muslim appeasement, the Chandrababu Naidu-led NDA government has issued a similar order in the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. The BJP is part of the alliance, with representation in Naidu’s cabinet.
The AP government circular permitting “all employees professing Islam, including teachers, contract-outsourced personnel, and also village/ward secretariat staff to leave their offices/schools, early by an hour before closing time on all working days during Ramzan to perform necessary rituals” was issued four days before Telangana’s memo. The circular also attached a rider for Muslim employees’ required presence during any exigencies.
ThePrint reached AP’s Health and Family Welfare minister Satya Kumar Yadav, the BJP’s sole representative in Naidu’s council of ministers, over phone calls and WhatsApp for his comment on the government’s relaxation for Muslim employees during the Ramzan month.
ThePrint also sought Malviya’s response on the NDA government move in AP.
The report will be updated if and when they reply.
When contacted, a senior AP BJP leader declined to comment on the matter.
Successive governments in Andhra and Telangana—regardless of the parties in power—have allowed Ramzan month relaxation for Muslim employees for years. For example, in 2022, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi and Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party governments issued orders allowing a one-hour reduction in working time for Muslims for the entire month.
The move invites muted protests from the BJP and right-wing Hindu bodies every year.
The AP government Ramzan memo—issued by Mukesh Meena, principal secretary (political), general administration department—came after requests from the minority teachers association and the CEO of the state Waqf board.
In the Telangana case, the Telangana State Minority Employees Service Association made the appeal.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)