A move that has raised eyebrows in Madhya Pradesh, the State government has declared Id-uz-Juha and Id-ul-Fitr optional holidays with effect from March 26, 2010.
An official notification states that optional holidays have been declared on Id-ul-Fitr (September 9) and Id-uz-Zuha (November 16) respectively for government offices and educational institutions.
These festivals have been added to the list of optional holidays declared earlier for the year 2010.
The opposition Congress has termed the move as motivated and has criticised Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan for playing into the hands of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) and secretly implementing the communal agenda of the Sangh Parivaar.
“The Chief Minister is trying to create a communal divide in an otherwise harmonious State,” said Congress spokesperson K.K.Mishra.
“These festivals, like Diwali and Holi, are celebrated by all religious communities together. We dare the CM to declare festivals of other majority religious groups as optional holidays,” he said.
