Nearly 150 Muslim officers from various departments of the Telangana government are facing a dilemma as their scheduled Haj pilgrimage coincides with election duties. These officers have requested exemption from election duties to perform their religious pilgrimage.
Approximately 120 to 150 government employees who have been selected for the Haj pilgrimage have submitted leave applications to their departments, but their requests have been denied due to election duties. These officers work in municipal corporations, education, health, police, water board, and other departments.
Social activist Amjedullah Khan has raised the issue, pointing out that the officers are struggling to balance election duties with their holy pilgrimage. The clash between election duties and Haj camps and training sessions has made it difficult for these officers.
Amjedullah has urged the Election Commission of India to exempt the officers from election duties to allow them to perform Haj, emphasizing the importance of the pilgrimage in Islam. He has also submitted a representation to the ECI requesting exemption for Muslim government servants from election duty.
The conflicting schedules of the Haj camp beginning on May 9 and polling day on May 13 have created challenges for the officers. Despite submitting leave requests multiple times, their requests have not been processed, leading them to seek assistance from election authorities to grant them leave for their pilgrimage.
