2019 general Election: Muslim cleric wants poll dates shifted for Ramzan

A prominent Sunni cleric has expressed dismay over the Election Commission of India (ECI)'s announcement of polling dates for the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, claiming that the voting is scheduled for the holy month of Ramzan in May.

The Imam of the revered Lucknow-based Aishbagh Eidgah, Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali, has urged the ECI to ‘respect’ the sentiments of Muslims and shift the dates of polling scheduled for May 6, 12 and 19, since Ramzan, the fasting month of Muslims, was expected to begin on May 6.
He claimed the moon sighting for Ramzan would be done on May 5 and if sighted, the month of Ramzan would begin from the following date, that is, May 6.
“The voting dates falling on May 6, 12 and 19 would hence fall during the fasting period and subject Muslims to ‘extraordinary’ hardships,” he said in a statement here last night.
The Maulana, who is a respected Muslim religious leader in the country, has suggested the ECI to either pre-pone the elections scheduled for these three dates or postpone them for a date after Eid, which marks the culmination of the fasting month of Ramzan.
“We will make a formal representation to the ECI in this regard both in written and email form,” Mahali told Business Standard here this afternoon. Read More

Article Source -> Business Standard