Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi has appealed to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to declare September 8 as an official public holiday for Eid Milad-un-Nabi. The request comes after the Muslim community decided to shift its main procession to that date to avoid a clash with Ganesh Visarjan.

Traditionally, Eid Milad-un-Nabi, which marks the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad, falls on September 5 this year, with processions usually held a day later on September 6. However, since Ganesh Visarjan also coincides with the same day, the All India Khilafat Committee, which organizes the main procession in Byculla, rescheduled the event to September 8 to ensure smooth conduct of both festivals and maintain communal harmony.

In a post on X, Azmi stated that the decision was taken in the interest of peace and unity. “This year, Ganesh Visarjan is on September 6, coinciding with the Eid Milad procession. To strengthen Hindu-Muslim unity and avoid any inconvenience, the Muslim community decided to celebrate the procession on September 8. However, the government has not yet declared it as a public holiday. I request the Chief Minister to issue an official GR and announce September 8 as a holiday,” he wrote.

The 2025 celebration holds special significance as it marks the 1,500th birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad. Sarfaraz Arzu, chairman of the All India Khilafat Committee, said the decision was taken after careful consideration, noting that this is the third consecutive year when Eid Milad and Ganesh Visarjan have fallen on the same day. Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh has also written to CM Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, urging them to declare September 8 as a government holiday.