All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday hit out at the Central government over its order granting half day closure of government offices across the country for Ram Mandir consecration ceremony on January 22, tagging the move as 'majority appeasement'.
An official memorandum issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) stated, “The Ram Lalla Pran Pratishtha at Ayodhya will be celebrated on 22nd January, 2024 across India. To enable employees to participate in the celebrations, it has been decided that all Central Government Offices, Central Institutions and Central Industrial Establishments throughout India will be closed for half day till 1430 hours on 22nd January, 2024."
Central government offices will remain closed till 2.30 PM on January 22.
Owaisi's appeasement jibe at Centre
Owaisi, taking to social media site X, shared the government order to slam the centre. "Eid Milad un Nabi holiday was cancelled by a BJP state govt. A constitutional authority did away with a 30-min break on Fridays for namaz. This is “Development for all appeasement for none (except majority)”," Owaisi wrote.
Half day for govt employees on January 22
Earlier on Thursday, Union minister Jitendra Singh said that on January 22, in observance of the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, all central government offices will be closed for half a day.
The decision was made in consideration of the “overwhelming sentiment and demands of employees” to engage in the celebrations.
Meanwhile, several states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Chattisgarh, and Haryana have declared holiday on January 22 for schools and educational institutions.
The Pran Pratishtha ceremony, marking the consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, is scheduled for January 22, 2024, between 12:15 PM and 12:45 PM. Following the ceremony, the temple will be open to the public starting on January 23, 2024. The comprehensive completion of the entire temple is anticipated by December 2024. Preceding the ceremony, religious rituals will be conducted until January 21.
