New Delhi: The Assam Assembly has scrapped its Friday break that allowed Muslim legislators to offer namaz, implementing a decision taken last year.
The two hour break, a nearly 90-year-old tradition, was formally discontinued during the ongoing budget session. The move has drawn criticism from opposition parties, who argue that it disregards the needs of Muslim legislators, PTI reported.
Leader of Opposition, Congress’s Debabrata Saikia suggested an alternative arrangement to allow Muslim MLAs to pray without missing Assembly proceedings. “Today, several of my party colleagues and AIUDF MLAs missed important discussion as they went to offer ‘namaz’. Since it is a special prayer requirement only for Fridays, I think a provision can be made for it nearby,” he said.
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Meanwhile, AIUDF MLA Rafiqul Islam accused the ruling BJP of imposing the decision by misusing its majority in the assembly. “There are about 30 Muslim MLAs in the assembly. We had expressed our views against the move. But they (the BJP) have the numbers and are imposing it on the basis of that,” he said.
The decision to end the break was taken in August last year by the Rules Committee of the Assembly. Defending the move, Speaker Biswajit Daimary said the Assembly should function on Fridays like any other day in keeping with the secular nature of the Constitution.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma welcomed the change, calling it a step toward shedding colonial-era practices. He noted that the break was first introduced in 1937 by Syed Saadulla of the Muslim League and said its removal prioritised productivity.
