Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday announced that recognised madrasas in the state would observe Sunday instead of Friday as their weekly holiday, The Indian Express reported. The opposition Congress criticised the move as an attempt to polarise voters ahead of state assembly elections expected in 2027.
Madrasas, Islamic educational institutions, have traditionally observed Friday as their weekly holiday, allowing students and staff to attend congregational prayers.
The new rule will apply to madrasas recognised by the state education department and those that have applied for recognition, The Print reported.
Dhami said the change was intended to bring minority-run educational institutions under common academic and administrative standards.
“We have already introduced a Uniform Civil Code in the state. There should be a uniform system for everyone,” The Indian Express quoted him as saying. He added that the government wanted all educational institutions to operate in the same direction.
The announcement follows the state government’s decision in July to abolish its statutory madrasa board and bring educational institutions run by six notified minority communities under a single regulatory authority.
Under the Uttarakhand Minority Education Act, 2025, which came into force on July 1, institutions run by Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Parsis are regulated by the Uttarakhand State Authority for Minority Education.
Congress spokesperson Pratima Singh accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government of pursuing what she described as the “politics of polarisation and communalism” ahead of the assembly elections, expected in February or March 2027.
“Why is it that whenever elections approach, the BJP suddenly starts focusing on polarisation, communalism, namaz, madrasas and mazars?” Singh asked. She also questioned the government’s efforts to address problems in the state’s education system.
The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) seeks to establish a common legal framework governing matters such as marriage, divorce, succession and adoption across religious communities.
The BJP has long advocated the implementation of a UCC, and several states governed by the party have taken steps towards introducing one.
In September, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said BJP-led governments and their allies in 21 states would introduce a UCC before the 2029 general election.
Uttarakhand implemented its Uniform Civil Code in January 2025, becoming the first Indian state after independence to do so, according to reports.
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