Champakkulam boat race fans burn Kerala CM’s effigy over holiday denial

Kottayam: Champakulam Moolam Jalolsavam Fans Club on Friday burned an effigy of chief minister V D Satheesan during a protest at the Champakulam bus stand in Alappuzha days after he reportedly turned down a demand for a local holiday to mark the historic Moolam boat race.Kuttanad MLA Reji Cheriyan had earlier moved a submission in the assembly seeking the holiday. Replying to the demand for a local holiday for Kuttanad taluk, the CM was allegedly heard over the microphone declaring, “No holiday will be granted under any circumstances.”The remark triggered the protest, with demonstrators demanding an apology for what they called an insult to the people of Kuttanad, boat race enthusiasts, and the Moolam water festival.Protesters alleged that the CM’s refusal to accept Cheriyan’s demand — despite the latter being an MLA of the ruling front — amounted to a covert snub to the legislator. They reiterated their demand for a local holiday for Kuttanad, even as Cheriyan himself has since backtracked from his original stance.Former MLA K K Shaju inaugurated the protest meeting. K G Arunkumar, fans club president and an executive member of Champakulam Moolam Jalolsavam Committee, presided.