Mulayam draws up a Friday timetable

Several Muslim community leaders have strongly criticised this move calling it tokenism for political purposes. When contacted, Muslim Personal Law Board member Kamal Farooqi said: ‘‘This posturing isn’t going to help us…we need more schools, not an order that will be used by communal forces to attack us.’’

Said ex-MP Syed Shahabuddin: ‘‘Nobody asked for it. You can always offer namaz during lunch break. His (Mulayam’s) motive is political.’’

The state government order, issued on Monday, gave no reason but directed all government schools and colleges affiliated to the Uttar Pradesh board to conduct teaching work only till 12 noon every Friday. The BJP alleged that it is a ‘‘politically motivated’’ move to woo Muslim voters ahead of the polls.Uttar Pradesh BJP leader Vinay Katiyar charged the Mulayam Singh government with ‘‘communalising education’’ and demanded similar relaxation on Tuesdays to ‘‘help Hindus offer prayers in temples.’’

A section of Muslim clerics have backed the government decision.

‘‘If the move is aimed at helping Muslims fulfil their religious obligations, we welcome it,’’ said Sunni cleric Sajjad Nomani.

But leading Shia scholar Kalbe Jawwad, however, said it would have been better had the government had only given a one-hour relaxation to Muslim government employees to help them offer prayers.

‘‘This decision will not serve much purpose as students of these classes are not very regular with their Friday prayers,’’ Jawwad pointed out.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Students League has demanded that the order be made applicable up to the university level.

According to League’s R A Ahmed, this is the practice is prevalent in the Aligarh Muslim University.