A BJP delegation handed over a memorandum to Governor Ramesh Bais on Thursday to seek his intervention in the immediate withdrawal of the Assembly Speaker’s decision of dedicating a room for offering Namaz at the Vidhan Sabha building, terming the move “undemocratic”, “unconstitutional” and “hazardous” to the secular fabric of governance in the country.

“The BJP respects all religions and believes in the freedom of practising one’s religion of choice, but the decision taken by the State Assembly Speaker to dedicate a room for members of a particular community is clearly an attempt to polarize the people of the state and appease one particular community for political gains,” the memorandum stated.

The delegation was led by state BJP general secretary Aditya Sahu. State party vice president Gangotri Kujur, treasurer Deepak Banka and senior leader Balmukund Sahay were also part of the team.

In the memorandum, the saffron party claimed that the Speaker's September 2 decision of dedicating a room for offering Namaz has resulted in demands by various groups of allotting dedicated places in the Assembly for offering prayers as per their religious beliefs – a trend that dilutes the inherent purpose of the State Assembly, which is to pass legislation for the betterment of the public irrespective of their religious beliefs.

The BJP, which is the largest Opposition party in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, also sought a probe into the lathicharge on its workers and leaders during a protest against the Speaker's decision on Wednesday.

In its memorandum to the Governor, the party claimed that police lathicharged BJP workers protesting peacefully and did not even spare women party workers during the “barbaric onslaught”. Former chief minister Babulal Marandi and Rajya Sabha MP Deepak Prakash were also attacked, but security personnel deployed for their safety saved them from suffering major injuries, the BJP stated in its memorandum.

The Jharkhand Assembly’s decision of allocating a room for offering Namaz in the Vidhan Sabha building has caused ripples in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, with a Bihar legislator demanding a facility for chanting Hanuman Chalisa in the Assembly and a Samajwadi Party MLA asking for a Namaz room in the state Assembly on the lines of Jharkhand.

As a mark of protest, BJP lawmakers turned up at the state Assembly in Ranchi dressed as priests and chanted “Jai Sri Ram” on Tuesday during proceedings of the monsoon session.