Telangana to allow Muslim govt staff to leave offices early during Ramzan

Telangana chief secretary Santhi Kumari, acting on the request from the state minority employees association, had issued orders allowing Muslim staff, those on contract too, to leave offices an hour before at 4pm from March 2 to 31 to offer necessary prayers during Ramzan.

Hyderabad: The Telangana government issuing orders allowing Muslim government staff to leave offices an hour early, at 4pm, during the holy month of Ramzan, has kicked up a row.

BJP has called the order the height of appeasement politics.

Telangana chief secretary Santhi Kumari had issued orders allowing Muslim staff, those on contract too, to leave offices an hour before, at 4pm, from March 2 to 31 to offer necessary prayers during Ramzan.

“Government hereby permits all the government Muslim employees/teachers/contractors/outsourcing/boards/corporations and public sector employees working in the state to leave their offices/schools at 4pm during the holy month of Ramzan, i.e., from 2-3-2025 to 31-3-2025 (both days inclusive) to offer necessary prayers, except when their presence is required due to exigencies of services during the above period,” said a circular memo issued by Santhi Kumari on Feb 15. The chief secretary issued the memo at the request of the Telangana State Minority Employees Service Association, state president.

“Appeasement politics at its peak. The Telangana government allows early leave for Ramzan but ignores Hindu festivals. Equal rights for all, or none,” said BJP's firebrand MLA from Goshamahal, Thakur Raja Singh.

Telangana BJP Spokesperson NV Subash has strongly criticised the order. “If this isn’t appeasement, then what is?” he questioned, emphasising that while the BJP respects all religions and welcomes gestures of goodwill, such privileges should be extended to all communities equally. “Hindus observe fasts during religious festivals, as do Christians and others. Why doesn’t the government offer similar concessions to them?” he asked.

Subash also accused the parties who call themselves secular of double standards, pointing out that the same government enforces strict restrictions on Diwali firecrackers and imposes excessive regulations on Ganesh Chaturthi and Kali Puja pandals during Dasara. “Such selective favouritism is unacceptable,” he asserted.

Condemning what he called the Congress government’s divisive policies, Subash contrasted them with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governance, which follows the principle of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas" —ensuring that welfare schemes benefit all citizens without bias.

"The Telangana Congress government’s move is not about inclusivity; it is about vote-bank politics,” he said. “The BJP will continue to oppose such discriminatory policies,” he said.