‘Historic Decision’: Assam Scraps 2-Hour Friday Namaz Breaks In State Assembly

Guwahati: In a bold move, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the cancellation of two-hour namaz breaks on Fridays in the Assam Legislative Assembly.

The decision, made public on Friday, ends a long-standing provision that allowed Muslim lawmakers and staff members to take a break for Friday prayers from 12 noon to 2 pm.

Explaining it as a step towards enhancing productivity and shedding colonial-era practices, Biswa Sarma thanked Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary and the legislators for supporting the ‘historic’ decision.

“By doing away with the 2-hour Jumma (Friday namaz) 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,” the Assam CM posted on X.

He emphasised that the Assembly should function without any religious considerations.