‘Hindus Never Demand Holidays’: BJP’s Giriraj Hails Assam Assembly For Abolishing ‘Colonial’ Friday Namaz Break Rule

Union Minister Giriraj Singh Saturday hailed the decision of the Assam legislative assembly to abolition British-era 2-hour Friday namaz break rule, asserting that preferential treatment should not be given on the basis of religion.

“I thank the Speaker of the assembly in Assam as well as the government of the state for taking the step. It is essential to have uniformity in law and no preferential treatment should be given to any religious community,” the senior BJP leader told reporters in Bihar’s Begusarai district, his Lok Sabha constituency.

Singh, known for his hardline Hindutva stance, also slammed INDIA bloc leaders for objecting to the move in the BJP-ruled state, claiming that that opposition grouping would turn India into “Pakistan and Bangladesh if they had their way”.

“Leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav are champions of the Muslim vote bank. If they had their way, there would be holidays across the country every Friday,” the Begusarai MP said as he fumed on being asked about why BJP’s opponents have censured the Assam government’s contentious move.

The BJP veteran noted that Hindus hold several days in the week as sacred but never seek a holiday.

“Never has the majority community sought a holiday on Tuesdays when we worship Hanuman or Mondays which are associated with Lord Shiva,” he said.

Attacking the INDIA bloc for opposing the move, Singh alleged that the opposition grouping’s leaders would turn the country into “Bangladesh and Pakistan” if they had their way.

“If these opposition leaders ever come to power, they will push the country in the direction of Bangladesh and Pakistan”, he claimed.

“By doing away with the 2 hour Jumma break, @AssamAssembly has prioritised productivity and shed another vestige of colonial baggage. This practice was introduced by Muslim League’s Syed Saadulla in 1937,” Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a post on X on Friday.

“My gratitude to Hon’ble Speaker Shri @BiswajitDaimar5 dangoriya and our legislators for this historical decision,” Sarma added.

(With PTI inputs)