RJD Declared Holiday on Fridays: Amit Shah Counters Tejashwi on 'How're Hindus in Danger' Remark

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah slammed RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav over the ‘How is Sanatan Dharma in Danger’ remark and recalled how the government run by the latter increased school holidays on Muslim festivals and decreased the number of holidays for Hindu festivities. 

Addressing an election rally in Bihar, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, “The Prime Minister of the country is Hindu, the President is Hindu, the Chief Ministers of all the states are Hindu, all three Army Chiefs are Hindus, yet these people are saying that religion is in danger.” 

Speaking exclusively to Republic's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, Amit Shah recalled the release of holiday calendar for the academic of 2024 by the then Bihar government, in which Yadav served as the Deputy Chief Minister.  

“Tejashwi and his father Lalu Prasad Yadav declared holiday on Fridays in Bihar. How will they justify this move? School holidays in India will now be different for every state? How do they want to run the country,” Shah told Republic.  

Bihar School Holiday Calendar That Ignited Political Storm

The Bihar government's Department of Education in November 2023 released the holiday calendar for the academic year 2024. drawing sharp criticism from BJP leaders who accused the government of "assaulting Hindu sentiments."

Accusing the Bihar government of appeasement politics, BJP MP Sushil Modi claimed that revised calendar removed holidays on Ram Navami and Janmashtami while increased the number of days schools remain closed for Muslim festivals. 

He further claimed that schools in Muslim-majority areas have been granted weekly offs on Fridays, while Hindus are being deprived of holidays on festivals such as Raksha Bandhan, Maha Shivaratri, and Anant Chaturdashi.