BJP Nitish

1. BJP criticizes Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government for alleged imbalance in school holidays during Hindu and Muslim festivals.
2. Union minister Ashwini Choubey accuses Nitish Kumar of appeasement, labeling it an “anti-Hindu face.”
3. Choubey claims the government’s actions prioritize vote banks over Sanatan values.

Patna, Nov 28: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has once again criticized the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government, accusing it of reducing the number of holidays for schools during Hindu festivals while increasing them for Muslim festivals.

Union minister Ashwini Choubey, referring to Nitish Kumar as the “chief of appeasement,” claimed that the government’s actions revealed its “anti-Hindu face” and accused it of prioritizing vote banks over Sanatan values.

In a social media post on X, Choubey expressed his disapproval, stating, “Once again the anti-Hindu face of the uncle-nephew government came to the fore. On one hand, holidays for Muslim festivals are being extended in schools, while holidays for Hindu festivals are being abolished. Shame on the government that hates Sanatan for vote bank.”

The Bihar education department recently released the holiday calendar for 2024, emphasizing that it aims to ensure at least 220 teaching days under the Right to Education. The revised calendar for 2024 includes an increase in summer vacation days from 20 to 30.

Holidays for Hindu festivals like Hartalika Teej and Jitiya have been removed, while holidays for Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha (Bakrid) have been extended to three days each.

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Union minister Giriraj Singh, a prominent BJP leader, took a dig at the Nitish Kumar-led government by dubbing the state as the “Islamic Republic of Bihar.”

In a Hindi post on X, Singh criticized the government, claiming, “Nitish and Lalu government increased holidays for Muslim festivals in schools, ended holidays for Hindu festivals.”

This development echoes a previous controversy earlier this year when the government, in an order dated August 29, reduced the number of holidays for state schools from 22 to 8 over the next five months.

However, the order faced significant opposition and was subsequently withdrawn. The director of secondary education issued a notification, stating, “The August 29 order comprising the holiday list in government primary, middle, and secondary schools is canceled with immediate effect.”