What Friday is for Muslims, Thursday is for Hindu Sanatan's: Assam BJP legislator

In a strange demand made to the Speaker of Assam Legislative Assembly Hitendra Nath Goswami, 10 BJP legislators have urged for half day on Thursday. In a letter submitted to the Speaker, the BJP MLAs argued that if on Friday, the house can take a break of three hours to facilitate Muslim faithful to offer Namaz, why not Thursday can be declared a half day to facilitate Hindus to offer Puja and go to Naamghars? 

It may be noted that on Fridays, when the Assembly is in session, the house adjourns at 12 pm and resumes at 3 pm, so that the Muslim legislators can go and offer Namaz. 

The letter signed by 10 MLAs led by Shiladitya Dev, which is known for his hardcore stand on Hindutva, stated that on Thursdays, Hindu faithful need to perform a lot of rituals including Puja’s for which they require a considerable period of time, and thus when the house is in session, on Thursdays, the house should adjourn at half day to facilitate them to perform the rituals.

Speaking to Republic TV exclusively, Shiladitya Dev said that there should be no such provision on the first place in India for being a secular country where every religion is treated equally. However, since Muslim  legislators are being given a break to offer Namaz on Friday, why not the same treatment to the Hindu legislators. 

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He said, “Thursday is pious for Hindu Sanatan Dharma. Many people go to Naamghars, offer Puja and engage in religious rituals. So, since there is provision on Fridays, for us Thursdays should be made half day.”

He also said that if no provision is made for the Hindu legislators, the Assembly should also do away with the provisions that is in place for Friday Namaz. 

Meanwhile, speaking to Republic TV, former Speaker of Assam Legislative Assembly and BJP State president of Assam, Ranjit Das said, “Actually it was the appeasement policy of Congress. There is no provision anywhere in the country to declare half day on Fridays for Namaz. Not even in parliament. So, being a secular country, we shouldn't have any such provision.”

It may be mentioned that in the Indian parliament, there is no such provisions for anyone on any day. 

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