Muslim employees got this exemption in Andhra Pradesh, uproar erupted in Telangana.

After the Congress-led Telangana government, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh has also allowed all Muslim employees to leave their workplace one hour early during Ramzan from March 2 to March 30.

The Andhra Pradesh unit of the BJP has welcomed the move, but on the contrary, the party is opposing a similar move by the state government in Telangana. The Andhra Pradesh government has given this approval in a recent circular. It has been issued by Principal Secretary (Political) Mukesh Kumar Meena.

Exemption to contract and outsource employees

This exemption has been given to all Muslim contract and outsourced employees, including employees working in ward and village secretariats. In the circular, Meena said that this permission will not be given in such an emergency in which their presence in the concerned department is necessary.

The Andhra Pradesh unit of the BJP has welcomed the move. Party leader S. Yamini Sharma said, 'Our guiding principle is Antyodaya and Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas. We follow this approach. BJP always supports Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas regardless of caste, creed or religion.'

There is uproar in Telangana.

She also said that, unlike Congress, Jan Sangh or BJP never indulged in any form of minority appeasement. Earlier, in the neighboring state Telangana, BJP leader and Union Minister B. Sanjay Kumar had strongly criticized the Congress' Revanth Reddy government for giving similar relaxation to Muslims.

Strong Hindu leader and party MLA T. Raja Singh had also lashed out at the Telangana government. He asked why similar relaxation was not given to Hindu devotees who took 41-day Ayyappa Diksha.

At the same time, Telangana Congress General Secretary Zeeshan Lalani said that both TDP and BJP are friends and alliance partners. Despite being friends, the TDP government is giving relief to Muslims. The BJP's problem is that whatever good Chief Minister Revanth Reddy does, it troubles it. Telangana minister P. Prabhakar defended the state government's move, saying that this exemption has been given for the last 25 years.