BENGALURU: The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to grant a two-hour evening leave for Muslim government employees during Ramzan, after 4 pm, similar to Telangana.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) vice-president A R M Hussain has submitted a formal petition. He emphasized that leaders will soon meet the CM to push for this demand.
In their letter, KPCC vice-presidents Syed Ahmad and A R M Hussain have appealed through the CM political secretary Nazir Ahmad, requesting CM Siddaramaiah to implement a similar provision in Karnataka, benefiting Muslim employees working in government offices.
The two Congress minority leaders have submitted a request to CM Siddaramaiah, urging him to provide work-time relaxation for Muslim government employees in Karnataka during Ramzan, similar to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. They have also written to CM’s political secretary and Legislative Council member Nazir Ahmad, regarding this demand.
With the holy month of Ramzan approaching, the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments have already allowed Muslim government employees to leave work after 4 pm to break their fast (Iftar) at home. The Telangana government has issued a government order permitting all the government Muslim employees, teachers, contract, out-sourcing, boards, corporations and Public Sector employees working in the state to leave their offices/schools at 4 pm during the Holy Month of “Ramzan,” i.e., from March 2 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.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has vehemently opposed an order allowing Telangana government Muslim employees to leave work at 4 pm during Ramazan, calling this a move a step to appease the Muslim community in the state.
The Andhra Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP), has also announced that Muslim employees will be allowed to leave work an hour early during the holy month of Ramzan. (ANI)