Telangana govt's Ramzan work concession for Muslims draws BJP backlash

NEW DELHI: The Congress-led Telangana government has issued an order allowing all the Muslim employees working for the state to take a leave an hour early during "Ramzan" days.
The Revanth Reddy dispensation has permitted all Muslim government employees, teachers, contract, out-sourcing, corporations and public sector employees to leave their offices/schools at 4.00 pm during the month of Ramzan, which will commence on March 2 and will conclude on March 31.
The order was issued by chief secretary to government Santhi Kumari.
In a letter dated February 15 Santhi Kumari said, "Government hereby permits all the government Muslim employees/ teachers/contract /out-sourcing/boards/corporations & public sector employees working in the state to leave their offices/schools at 4.00 pm during the holy month of "RAMZAN" ie, from March 02 to March 31 (both days inclusive) to offer necessary prayers, except when their presence is required due to exigencies of services during the above period."
The move has triggered a political backlash by the opposition BJP, which has called it an attempt to appease the Telangana Muslim community.
BJP's IT cell chief Amit Malviya lashed out at the Congress party, saying the decision "wasn't about being sensitive to the religious beliefs" of the Muslim community but about "reducing them to mere vote bank".
"The appeasement bug strikes the Congress government in Telangana, which has approved relaxed work hours for Muslim state employees during Ramzan. No such concessions are ever granted to Hindus when they fast during Navratri. This tokenism isn't about being sensitive to the religious beliefs of one community but about reducing them to a mere vote bank. It should be opposed," said BJP leader Amit Malviya in a post on X.
Senior BJP leader P Muralidhar Rao also slammed CM Revanth Reddy alleging that he was determined to prioritise one section of society.
Rao said the state government never extended such concessions to Hindus during Navratri or Jains during Paryushan.
"The Congress government in Telangana is once again indulging in blatant appeasement, approving relaxed work hours for Muslim employees during Ramzan while never extending such concessions to Hindus during Navratri or Jains during Paryushan. This isn't about respect for religious practices--it's about vote bank politics. What kind of secularism is this?" Rao asked.
He accused the Revanth Reddy government of pushing Telangana down the path of Sharia-style governance.
"Special privileges for one community while others are ignored! CM Revanth Reddy seems determined to prioritise one section while pushing Telangana further down the path of Sharia-style governance. If Congress continues to rule, this bias will only deepen," Muralidhar Rao said.