'Special break' for all, not just for one community: Media Advisor to U'Khand CM

Clarifying on the Uttarakhand Government's decision to provide a special 90-minute break to the government employees from the Muslim community for Friday prayers, Surendra Aggarwal, Media Advisor to Chief Minister Harish Rawat, said on Monday that the provision is for the workers of all religions and not just for one community and was taken in view of tackling the current situation of employees demanding too many leaves.

"The Chief Minister has given the special facility of short break to state workers of all sects, caste and religion in the state for religious prayers. And this facility has been provided in view of controlling the increasing demands for leaves in the state," Aggarwal told ANI.

"It is wrong to view it in respect of elections (give it a political angle)," he added.

This comes as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed the Uttarakhand government for declaring a special 90-minute Friday break for Muslim employees, saying it will set a wrong precedent and accused the Congress of "communalising" the state's politics ahead of the assembly polls.