Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 19

Chief Minister Harish Rawat found himself on the backfoot on the issue of giving a 90-minute break to Muslim employees for Friday congregational prayers following attack by the BJP.

The Cabinet had decided to give a break from 12.30 pm till 2pm on Fridays to Muslim employees to participate in the prayers.

The strong reaction from the Opposition that found an appropriate issue to dub the Congress state government as communal and appeasing Muslims for votes has forced the Chief Minister to declare the break for all employees, belonging to different communities.

Finding himself on the wrong foot, Chief Minister Harish Rawat in a damage-control exercise told mediapersons that all employees could avail short leave for prayers on special occasions by giving applications to their offices.

BJPslams move

New Delhi: The BJP today slammed the Uttarakhand Government for declaring a special 90-minute Friday break for Muslim employees. The party said it would set a wrong precedent.

Party leaders accused the Congress government in Uttarakhand of “communalising” the state’s politics ahead of the Assembly poll.

The leaders said hardly anyone would be found working in the government offices if Hindus, who performed different pujas across the month, were given similar concessions.

BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma accused the Congress of having the history of “dividing people on communal lines in its greed for power”. He termed the latest endeavour as an attempt to hide the Harish Rawat government’s failures.

“There is no issue with people of different faiths offering prayers of their choice. But this will set a wrong precedent on the matter of principle. From Monday to Saturday, the Hindus also worship different Gods and offer prayers. If everyone starts getting such exemptions, who will work in government offices? It is an attempt to communalise the state’s politics ahead of the poll as the government has failed on all fronts. It has nothing to show to people for its work and is attempting to hide its failures under its communal agenda,” Shrikant said.

Dehradun: Meanwhile, state BJP leader Anil Baluni said Chief Minister Harish Rawat took the decision, keeping the next year’s Assembly elections in mind. “Harish Rawat has taken this decision out of fear of losing the elections,” he said.

“The Chief Minister is following the Congress tradition of misleading the Muslims. The Congress has taken the decision right before the elections. What is on their mind? Do they want to influence elections?,” he said.

However, state Congress president Kishore Upadhyay on Monday said the decision should be welcomed as every religion should be respected.

“It should be welcomed and people’s belief and every religion should be respected,” he said.

—-With inputs from ANI