New Delhi, Apr 5 (PTI) The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Tuesday announced that all its Muslim employees who are observing fast during the month of Ramzan can leave office at 4.30 pm.

NDMC Vice Chairman Satish Upadhyay, however, opposed the move.

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The civic body said that the order will be applicable from April 3 to May 2, 2022.

Ramzan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar during which the followers of Islam fast from dawn to dusk, pray for peace and guidance, and give back to the community in the form of charity.

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"With prior approval of the Competent authority, all the fast observing Muslim employees of NDMC are permitted to leave their offices at 4.30 pm during the month of 'Ramzan'," the NDMC said it an official order.

NDMC Vice Chairman, Satish Upadhyay however, opposed the move.

"I have spoken to NDMC Chairman and the Competent Authority of the civic body and urged him to immediately withdraw the order allowing Muslim employees to leave office at 4.30 pm during Ramzan.

"I never knew of any such order and as it came to my knowledge I opposed such order which is unsecular," he said.

Earlier in the day, within hours of issuing a circular allowing its Muslim employees a two-hour break from work daily during Ramzan, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) rescinded the directions after opposition from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)