Row erupts in Bihar over mayor's call for 'break' during Holi to facilitate namaaz

Darbhanga/Patna (Bihar): A fresh controversy over Holi and Friday namaaz during Ramzan erupted in Bihar with the mayor of Darbhanga town advocating a "two-hour break" in celebration of the festival of colours to facilitate the Muslim prayers.

The proposal was mooted by Anjum Ara at a meeting of the peace committee in the north Bihar town recently.

Later, while interacting with reporters, she said, "My plea was that the time of 'jumma namaaz' cannot be deferred. So, let there be a two-hour break, from noon to 2 pm, during which Hindus shall avoid places in the vicinity of mosques."

"This would enable people from both faiths to carry out their respective practices without any hassles. We understand that Holi comes only once in a year. But we also need to keep in mind that for Muslims, it is the holy month of Ramzan," the mayor added.

Her remarks drew an angry response from Hari Bhushan Thakur Bachaul, a BJP MLA from the adjoining district of Madhubani, who was recently in news for asking Muslims to "stay indoors" if they had a problem with Holi.

Talking to reporters on the state assembly premises, he said, "Where are the self-proclaimed secularists who were attacking me? The mayor of Darbhanga has virtually called for 'Ghazwa-e-Hind', to convert India into an Islamic caliphate." He also warned of a "pratikaar (retaliation) against those who first partitioned the country and are now intruding into the social life of Hindus".

He also sought "investigation into shady (sandigdh) record" of Ara and her family, who are said to be supporters of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U), a BJP ally.

However, senior JD(U) leader and minister Shravan Kumar said, "The administration is not supposed to tell the people when and how to celebrate a festival. These decisions are best left to the society and the administration must always concentrate on maintaining rule of law."

He also disapproved of the remarks by Bachaul, saying, "Elected representatives must never use a language that hurts a section of the society."

RJD MLA Bhai Virendra, whose party is considered the first choice of Muslims in Bihar, felt the mayor of Darbhanga had come up with "a response to the polarising tactics of the likes of Bachaul, who are hell-bent upon destroying 'Ganga Jamuni tehzeeb' (communal harmony)".