‘Height of appeasement politics’: Pralhad Joshi hits back at Tejashwi Yadav amid row over Jumma break in assembly

Hubballi (Karnataka) [India], September 1 (ANI): Hitting back at Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav over his comments on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi termed it "height of appeasement politics."
Joshi asked if the state assembly, or the two houses of Parliament, were the places for offering Namaz.
"Is Assembly, Rajya Sabha or Lok Sabha, the place for offering Namaz? This is the height of appeasement politics...I am a minister and worship some god or goddess on Thursday, then give me rest on Thursday. Does the country run like this? What kind of a method is this, isn't this foolish?" Joshi told ANI.
This comes after Tejashwi referred to CM Himanta as the "Chinese version of Yogi," while attacking him over the Assam Assembly's decision to end the 2-hour Jumma practice on Friday.
"The Chief Minister of Assam deliberately keeps doing acts to harass Muslims, in an attempt to gain cheap popularity and become the "Chinese version of Yogi." The people of BJP have made Muslim brothers a soft target to spread hatred, attract the attention of Modi-Shah and polarize the society," Yadav stated.
"People of all religions, except RSS, have a hand in the independence of the country. Our Muslim brothers have made sacrifices in getting the country freedom and as long as we are here, no one can harm them," he added.
The former Bihar Deputy CM had also accused the Assam CM of seeking "cheap popularity" to stay in the news.
"Assam Chief Minister (Himanta Biswa Sarma) wants cheap popularity and wants to remain in the news...(UP CM) Yogi Adityanath is using bulldozers, and he (Assam CM) is stopping namaz, the country belongs to everyone, there should be peace, but these people are only spreading hatred," Tejashwi Yadav told ANI.
The Assam state assembly ended the practice of a two-hour adjournment for Jumma Prayers, every Friday that was introduced by the Muslim League government in colonial Assam.
Assam Speaker Biswajit Daimary said that the decision was taken as it had become difficult to hold discussions on Fridays due to a lack of time.
Earlier on Saturday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma defended the state assembly's decision to end the 2-hour break for Jumma prayers, saying that no other state assembly in India has a similar break.
"The decision to end the Jumma break in Assam was also supported by the Congress. There is no such break in Bihar or any other state assembly in the country. I am surprised that people outside Assam are opposing it without thinking," CM Himanta said in a post on X.
According to the previous rule, the sitting of Assam Assembly on Friday used to be adjourned at 11 am to facilitate Muslim members to go for namaaz, but, as per the new rule, the Assembly will conduct its proceedings without any adjournment for religious purposes.
As per the amended rule, the Assam assembly will commence its proceedings at 9.30 am every day, including Fridays. The order stated that the amendment was done to scrap the colonial practice, which aimed at dividing society on a religious basis. (ANI)
Responding to Yadav's statement against him, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said "Our work will not stop based on the comments of people. Our work is to keep going forward." (ANI)