The Telangana government issued an order permitting all government Muslim employees, teachers, contract, out-sourcing, boards, corporations and Public Sector workers in the state to leave their offices/schools at 4:00 pm during the holy month of Ramzan.

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Ramzan or Ramadan, which will begin on March 2 and continue till March 31, is a holy month of fasting and prayer in the Islamic calendar and is observed by Muslims across the world.

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The order issued by Chief Secretary to Government Santhi Kumari stated, “Government hereby permits all the Government Muslim Employees/ Teachers/ Contract / Out-sourcing/ Boards/ Corporations & Public Sector Employees working in the State to leave their Offices/Schools at 4.00 p.m. during the Holy Month of ‘RAMZAN’ ie, from March 02 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.”

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BJP slams Telangana govt

The move has been slammed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is calling the government’s decision an attempt to appease the Muslim community in the state.

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“The appeasement bug strikes the Congress government in Telangana, which has approved relaxed work hours for Muslim state employees during Ramzan. No such concessions are ever granted to Hindus when they fast during Navratri. This tokenism isn’t about being sensitive to the religious beliefs of one community but about reducing them to a mere vote bank. It should be opposed,” said BJP leader Amit Malviya in a post on X.

Senior BJP leader P Muralidhar Rao also criticised Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, alleging that he was prioritising one section of the society.

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“The Congress government in Telangana is once again indulging in blatant appeasement, approving relaxed work hours for Muslim employees during Ramzan while never extending such concessions to Hindus during Navratri or Jains during Paryushan. This isn’t about respect for religious practices—it's about vote bank politics,” Muralidhar Rao said.

He added, “What kind of secularism is this? Special privileges for one community while others are ignored! CM Revanth Reddy seems determined to prioritize one section while pushing Telangana further down the path of Sharia-style governance. If Congress continues to rule, this bias will only deepen.” 

(With inputs from agencies)