Bihar Govt Slashes Hindu Holidays For Schools, BJP Accuses Nitish Of "Appeasement Politics"

The BJP on Tuesday slammed the Bihar government after it reportedly reduced the holidays for the state-run schools during the Hindu festivals.

Union minister Ashwini Choubey attacked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar calling him the "master of appeasement politics and accused the JDU-RJD government of hating "Sanatan for vote bank".

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the BJP leader said, "Once again, the anti-Hindu face of the uncle-nephew government came to the fore. On one hand, holidays for Muslim festivals are being extended in schools, while holidays for Hindu festivals are being abolished." "Shame on the government that hates Sanatan for the vote bank," the post added.

Union Minister Giriraj Singh alleged that the Hindu holidays have been slashed while increasing the number of holidays for the Muslim festival. "This clearly shows that Nitish Kumar-led Bihar Govt is working in the state on the basis of Islamic religious beliefs...CM Nitish Kumar will have to suffer in the upcoming elections if these holidays are not reinstated," he added.

According to recent reports, the Bihar education department released the holiday calendar for 2024, emphasizing the need for a minimum of 220 teaching days in compliance with the Right to Education. The updated calendar for 2024 reflects significant changes, including an extension of summer vacation from 20 to 30 days.

In addition to it, holidays for Hartalika Teej and Jitiya have been eliminated, while the duration of holidays for Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha (Bakrid) has been extended to three days each.