Sunday holidays linked to Christians, one district tried to change it: Modi

Lok Sabha elections 2024: While addressing election rally in Dumka, Jharkhand, Modi says one district in Jharkhand tried to change weekly-offs from Sunday to Fridays

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke about a Jharkhand district’s attempt to change the weekly holiday from Sunday to Friday. While addressing a rally in Dumka, Modi said Sunday holiday in India has its roots in the British colonial period and is associated with the Christian community.

He accused his political rivals of following vote bank politics and said infiltrators have become a “big problem” in Jharkhand. "In our country, there is a holiday on Sunday. When the British used to rule here, the Christian community used to celebrate the holiday (on Sunday), this tradition started from that time. Sunday is not associated with Hindus, it is associated with the Christian community. This has been going on for the last 200-300 years. Now, they have put a lock on Sunday holiday in one district and said that the holiday will be on Friday. Now, there is a fight with Christians too. What is this?" said Modi.

 

#WATCH दुमका, झारखंड: प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी ने कहा, "मुझे मेरे एक साथी बता रहे थे कि लव जिहाद शब्द पहली बार झारखंड में आया। झारखंड वालों ने ये शब्द दिया है। हमारे देश में रविवार को छुट्टी होती है। जब अंग्रेज यहां राज करते थे तो ईसाई समाज छुट्टी(रविवार को) मनाता है, ये परंपरा… pic.twitter.com/e4G8ip1fXJ

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When were holidays in Jharkhand changed from Sunday to Friday?

In 2022, the Jharkhand government dissolved the management committees of schools and reinstated Sunday as the official holiday, two years after 43 state-run schools had unilaterally changed their weekly break to Friday.

At the time, Jamtara district education office had said that an investigation had found that some schools in the minority community-dominated pockets of Jamtara district had switched to Friday as their weekly off for over two years.

Dumka MP Sunil Soren had expressed outrage over the change, requesting the Centre to address the issue. In contrast, Congress party's Jamtara MLA Irfan Ansari downplayed the matter, stating, "The Dumka MP is giving a trivial matter a communal colour. What is wrong in observing a weekly holiday on any other day than Sunday, especially where the bulk of the students come from the Muslim community?”

PM Modi's accusations against INDIA Bloc and JMM

Addressing a gathering in support of BJP candidate Sita Soren, PM Modi went on to accuse Congress party of "vote bank politics" and accused it of not prioritising the interests of Dalit and Adivasi communities.

"The BJP is committed to working for the Dalit and the marginalised communities," he asserted, adding that the Congress party opposed President Droupadi Murmu, who belongs to the Adivasi community, during her election.

He also accused  the INDIA bloc of harboring infiltrators in Naxal-affected areas of Jharkhand, alleging a significant increase in the number of infiltrators, which he claimed was endangering the safety and lives of tribal daughters.

"Now, the problem of infiltrators has arisen as a big problem in Jharkhand. As a result, the number of tribals is rapidly decreasing in many areas and the number of infiltrators is increasing. The safety and lives of tribal daughters have come into danger. Who are these infiltrators who are a threat to our daughters? Why is the JMM [Jharkhand Mukti Morcha] shielding them?" Modi asked the crowd.

"One of my colleagues was telling me that the word 'love jihad' first came into existence in Jharkhand. The people of Jharkhand coined this word," the PM added.

Modi said that the Congress wants to give reservation to Muslims based on religion, which he claimed would undermine the rights of SC, ST, and OBC communities.

"Modi will not allow the reservation of SC, ST, OBC to be looted. When I expose them, the INDI community gets irritated and says that Modi is creating Hindu-Muslim divide. They think that if they tarnish Modi's image, Modi will get scared! They are still not able to understand that Modi will ensure that their hateful propaganda fails," Modi stated.

Lok Sabha elections 2024 battle in Dumka

The rally in Dumka marks an intense electoral contest, with Sita Soren, the daughter-in-law of JMM Chief Shibu Soren, now representing the BJP. She will face off against JMM veteran and six-time MLA Nalin Soren.

Dumka has traditionally been a stronghold for the JMM, with Shibu Soren winning the seat eight times.
 

(With agency inputs)