Cong welcomes decision to give break to Muslim employees for Friday prayers in U'khand

Uttarakhand Congress president Kishore Upadhyaya on Monday said that the state cabinet's decision to give a 90-minute break to Muslim employees for Friday prayers should be welcomed as every religion should be respected.

"It should be welcomed and people's belief and every religion should be respected," he told ANI.

Upadhyaya's statement comes in the wake of the Uttarakhand Cabinet's decision to give a special 90-minute break to the government employees from the Muslim community for Friday prayers.

A Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Harish Rawat decided that a special break from 12:30 p.m. till 2:00 p.m. will be given to the employees from the Muslim community.

However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has criticised the decision and dubbed it a 'stunt' to woo the Muslims ahead of next year's assembly elections.

Reacting to the same, the Congress leader said those opposing and calling it an election stunt should introspect first.