On Friday, the Assam assembly discontinued the British-era practice that permitted a break during proceedings on Fridays for Muslim leaders to offer namaz (prayers).

The assembly amended Rule 11 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, which governed the scheduling of sittings. Previously, the rule stipulated that sittings would commence from 9:30 am to 2 pm on all weekdays except Friday and Saturday.

On Fridays, the House used to sit from 9:30 am to 11:30 am and then from 3 pm to 5 pm, allowing for a two-hour break. While the rules did not explicitly state that the break was for offering namaz, it had been used for decades by Muslim legislators to perform prayers before resuming proceedings.

According to officials familiar with the matter, Speaker Biswajit Daimary raised the issue, arguing that, given the secular nature of the Constitution, the assembly's proceedings should be conducted on Fridays as on any other day. Later, a proposal was presented to the rules committee of the House, which unanimously agreed to eliminate the rule and adopted a motion to amend the existing rule, ensuring that proceedings on Fridays would be conducted like any other weekday.

As Friday was the final day of the current autumn session, the new rule will take effect from the next winter session.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma remarked on X that the Assam assembly has prioritised productivity and removed another remnant of colonial practices by abolishing the two-hour ‘jumma’ (Friday) break.

“This practice was introduced by the Muslim League’s Syed Saadulla in 1937. My gratitude to Hon’ble Speaker Biswajit Daimary and our legislators for this historical decision,” he wrote.

A Muslim MLA from the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) stated that the rule had been in place for many decades and questioned the necessity of changing it. “...What was the need to change an existing tradition? The present BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)-led government in Assam under Himanta Biswa Sarma is targeting the Muslim community, keeping the 2026 assembly polls in mind,” he said.

Image source: Hindustan Times