Guwahati:
The decades -old Assam Legislative Assembly tradition had closed the two -hour holiday tradition for the first time during the budget session already running to offer ‘Namaz’ to Muslim MLAs. The decision to remove with the break was taken in the last session of the House in August, but was implemented from this meeting.
Expressing dissatisfaction over this, AIUDF MLA Rafiqul Islam said it was a decision on the strength of numbers.
Islam said, “There are about 30 Muslim MLAs in the assembly. We expressed our views against the move. But they have (BJP) numbers and are implemented on the basis of it,” Islam said.
Leader of the Opposition, Congress’s Debrata Saikia said that provisions can be made to offer ‘Namaz’ for Muslim MLAs on Friday.
“Today, many colleagues and AUDF MLAs of my party recalled important discussion as they went to offer ‘Namaz’. Since it is only a special prayer for Friday, I think a provision made for it. Can go, “he said.
In August last year, under the chairmanship of the Speaker, it was decided by the House’s Rules Committee to stop the practice of about 90 years old.
Speaker Biswaji Damri, “In view of the secular nature of the Constitution, the Assam Legislative Assembly should take its action on Friday like any other day”, which was placed before the Rules Committee and passed unanimously.
The decision was welcomed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, stating that it was an exercise introduced by Syed Sadullah of the Muslim League in 1937, and the decision to shut down the break is “another of another of priority productivity and colonial goods Westies “.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is published by a syndicated feed.)
