Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. (Image: PTI/File)
A break of two hours between 12pm to 2pm was given to Muslim legislators during which they would offer Namaz every Friday.
The Assam Assembly on Friday scrapped the rule of a 2-hour break for Muslim legislators to offer Friday Namaz. Now Muslim MLAs will not be granted any specific break on Fridays for Namaz prayers. Expressing his gratitude to Assembly speaker Biswajit Daimary Assam Chief Minister Himanta Sarma said that the move prioritises productivity.
“By doing away with the 2-hour Jumma break, Assam Assembly has prioritised productivity and shed another vestige of colonial baggage. This practice was introduced by Muslim League’s Syed Saadulla in 1937. My gratitude to Hon’ble Speaker Shri Biswajit Daimary Assam and our legislators for this historical decision,” said Sarma in an X post.
Biswajit Phukan, a BJP MLA from Sarupathar Assembly segment said, “Since the British times in India, a break used to be given in the Assam Assembly every Friday for offering Namaz. There was a break of two hours between 12 P.M. an 2 P.M. in which Muslim legislators would offer Namaz every Friday. But this rule has been changed from now on and there will be no break.”
He stated that the decision was taken at a meeting conducted by the Speaker of Assam Assembly Biswajit Daimary and it was a unanimous one, supported by other legislators.
“Everybody has voiced support for this decision. It has been studied that Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and Assembly houses in other states do not have the provision of giving a break for offering Namaz. Hence the Speaker of Assam Assembly also decided to end this British-era rule,” Phukan stated.
According to him, the Assam Assembly starts at 9.30 am from Monday to Thursday and on Friday, it begins at 9 am to give the two-hour break for Namaz. However, since this has been changed, from now on the Assembly will begin its operation at 9.30 am every day.
Notably, Assam has ended another pre-Independence rule.
Former Bihar Deputy CM and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav reacted to the Assam Assembly ending the 2-hour jumma break saying the CM is doing this for “cheap popularity”.
“Who is he? He just wants cheap popularity. BJP has made Muslims a soft target…they want to bother Muslims in some way or the other and spread hatred in the society. BJP should understand that even Muslims had sacrificed their lives in the freedom struggle…” Tejashwi Yadav said.
The Assam Assembly on Thursday passed a Bill that would require compulsory registration of Muslim marriages and divorces with the government.
The Assembly passed the Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Bill, 2024, aiming to safeguard the rights of Muslim women and men and eliminate child marriages.
This legislation replaces the archaic Assam Moslem Marriages and Divorces Registration Act, 1935.
Speaking at a discussion on this Bill, CM Sarma said, “The highest Muslim population states in India are Kerala and Jammu & Kashmir. There was already a law to register Muslim marriages. In Kerala, this Act must have been brought either by the Congress or the Left government as the BJP was never in power in this southern state.”
He also expressed concern about Muslim women and asserted that the Muslim marriage registration Act will give them safety and security.