Muslim no to Mulayam, he scraps order

By cancelling the order for early closure of schools on Fridays, Mulayam Singh tried to beat back the BJP charge that it was aimed at wooing Muslims ahead of the polls. The BJP alleged that the Friday school timing was meant to let Muslims offer namaz. The party demanded similar relaxation for Hindus on Tuesday.

But what probably made the CM reconsider was the adverse Muslim reaction: most community leaders opposed it, saying it was of little or no use and reeked of politics while playing into the hands of Muslim-baiters.

On Friday evening, Mulayam Singh told the state Assembly that the government order was ‘‘wrong’’ and he had ordered its cancellation. He later read out a statement to the effect and said ‘‘a new order is being issued which will again enable district education officers to regulate school timings on every day, including Friday, as per local requirement.’’

Earlier, BJP members, demanding an explanation from the government, trooped to the well of the House and raised cries of Har Har Mahadev and Jai Bajrangbali. They accused the government of ‘‘minority appeasement and vote-bank politics’’ and warned they would ask teachers to have the Hanuman Chalisa read in schools every Tuesday if the order was not withdrawn.

The Congress, an ally of the Mulayam Singh government, also called the order ‘‘mindless’’.

Senior Congress leader Salman Khursheed, speaking to The Indian Express, had a poser for the Chief Minister: ‘‘What will he gain from such a move? No one waits for leave to perform his or her religious activity. They somehow take time out to offer namaz or perform pooja.’’

Well known Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawwad said that school-going children are not very regular when it comes to Friday prayers. ‘‘If this is not a populist measure, then the government should relax duty hours for an hour every Friday so that Muslim employees can offer namaz.’’

Muslim scholars in Lucknow, Rampur and Moradabad too opposed the move to close schools early on Friday.