"Assam CM wants cheap popularity": RJD's Tejashwi Yadav on Assam Assembly ending 2-hr Jumma break practice
Aug 30, 2024
Patna (Bihar) [India], August 30 : Former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav hit out at Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma after the Assam Assembly on Friday decided to end the practice of two-hour adjournment for Jumma prayers.
Tejashwi Yadav alleged that the Assam Chief Minister wants "cheap popularity" and further said that the BJP wants to "bother Muslims in some way or the other."
"Assam's CM is doing this for cheap popularity. Who is he? He just wants cheap popularity. BJP has made Muslims a soft target. They want to bother Muslims in some way or the other and spread hatred in society. BJP should understand that even Muslims had sacrificed their lives in the freedom struggle," Yadav said while speaking to reporters in Patna on Friday.
Assam Assembly earlier in the day ended the practice of a two-hour adjournment for Jumma Prayers, every Friday. This practice was introduced by Saadulah's Muslim League government in colonial Assam.
Assam Legislative Assembly today officially amended the rule providing for a two-hour break Jumma break, historically observed to facilitate Muslim legislators to offer Friday prayers.
According to the previous rule, the sitting of the Assembly on Friday used to be adjourned at 11 am to facilitate Muslim members to go for namaaz, but, as per the new rule, the Assembly will conduct its proceedings without any adjournment for religious purposes.
As per the amended rule, the Assam assembly will commence its proceedings at 9.30 am every day, including Fridays. The order stated that the amendment was done to scrap the colonial practice which aimed at dividing the society on a religious basis.
In a post on X, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the decision was taken to prioritise the productivity of the assembly. Calling the decision as historic, CM Sarma expressed his gratitude towards the Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary for this decision.
"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. My gratitude to Biswajit Daimar Dangoriya and our legislators for this historical decision," CM Sarma said.
