Assam Assembly ends British-era Friday break, discontinues namaz pause; all you need to know

Under the old rule, the House sessions were held from 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM on weekdays, except Fridays, when proceedings paused from 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM. Although the rule did not explicitly state that the break was for namaz, it had been utilised by Muslim legislators for decades to offer prayers before rejoining the session.

The Assam Assembly on Friday (August 30) officially ended a British-era tradition of taking a break during Friday proceedings, a practice that had allowed Muslim legislators to offer namaz (prayers). The Assembly amended Rule 11 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, which previously set different sitting hours for Fridays to accommodate the prayer break.

Under the old rule, the House sessions were held from 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM on weekdays, except Fridays, when proceedings paused from 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM. Although the rule did not explicitly state that the break was for namaz, it had been utilised by Muslim legislators for decades to offer prayers before rejoining the session.

Speaker Biswajit Daimary, who raised the issue, argued that in accordance with the secular principles of the Indian Constitution, the Assembly's proceedings on Fridays should be conducted like any other day. The proposal to amend the rule was unanimously approved by the House's rules committee, and a motion to implement the change was adopted.

With Friday marking the conclusion of the Assembly's autumn session, the new rule will take effect from the next winter session.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma praised the decision on social media platform X, highlighting that the Assembly had "prioritised productivity" by shedding "another vestige of colonial baggage" with the abolition of the two-hour 'jumma' (Friday) break. He noted that the practice was initially introduced in 1937 by Syed Saadulla of the Muslim League.

However, the decision has drawn criticism from some quarters. A Muslim MLA from the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) questioned the necessity of altering a long-standing tradition. He suggested that the move by the BJP-led government under Chief Minister Sarma was politically motivated, aiming to target the Muslim community ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.