Telangana Government’s General Administration Department on Tuesday issued an order allowing all Muslim employees to leave their offices early during Ramzan to conclude their fast and perform the evening prayers. The employees will be allowed to leave at 4 PM IST from 2nd March 2025 to 30th March 2025.

The order dated 15th February 2025 and was signed by Santhi Kumari, the first female Chief Secretary of Telangana, stating, “Government thereby permits all the government Muslim employees/ teachers/ contract/outsourcing boards/ corporations and public sector employees working in the state to leave their offices schools at 4 pm during the holy month of Ramzan i.e., from 02.03.2025 to 31.03.2025 to offer necessary prayers.”

However, according to the order, employees would have to work extended hours if their presence was required for essential services during this period.

This order will be applicable to all Muslims residing in Telangana throughout the month of Ramzan. Ramzan is expected to begin on the evening of February 28, 2025, and conclude on March 30, 2025. Eid-ul-Fitr will be observed on March 31, 2025.

However, the BJP has criticised the state government, calling this move an attempt to appease the Muslim community.

"The appeasement bug strikes the Congress government in Telangana, which has approved relaxed work hours for Muslim state employees during Ramzan. No such concessions are ever granted to Hindus when they fast during Navratri. This tokenism isn't about being sensitive to the religious beliefs of one community but about reducing them to a mere vote bank. It should be opposed," said BJP leader Amit Malviya in a post on X.

Senior BJP leader P. Muralidhar Rao slammed CM Revanth Reddy, accusing him of prioritising one community over others.

"The Congress government in Telangana is once again indulging in blatant appeasement, approving relaxed work hours for Muslim employees during Ramzan while never extending such concessions to Hindus during Navratri or Jains during Paryushan. This isn't about respect for religious practices--it's about vote bank politics. What kind of secularism is this? Special privileges for one community while others are ignored! CM Revanth Reddy seems determined to prioritise one section while pushing Telangana further down the path of Sharia-style governance. If Congress continues to rule, this bias will only deepen," Muralidhar Rao said.