Kerala Bakrid Holiday Shift Sparks Political Outcry
The Kerala Government's decision to shift Bakrid holiday from Friday to Saturday ignited political debate, with IUML accusing the state of fostering a communal agenda. Despite changing the holiday to align with the festival dates, the government's move faced criticism, signaling potential political maneuvering ahead of the June 19 bypoll.
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The Kerala Government's decision to alter the Bakrid holiday has ignited a political storm, with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) accusing the administration of pushing a communal agenda. Initially, Friday was declared a holiday, but as the festival was set for Saturday, the government revised the holiday date to Saturday.
Despite this adjustment aiming to align the holiday with the observed festival date, IUML and other Muslim groups criticized the change. In response, the government announced closures for educational institutions on Friday night, a measure that failed to appease critics from the IUML, the Congress-led UDF's second-largest coalition partner.
General Education Minister V Sivankutty refuted allegations of communal bias, describing the affair as opposition attempts to gain political mileage. CPI(M)'s M Swaraj echoed this, suggesting the controversy was being used to derail the election campaign leading to the June 19 bypoll, while accusing the opposition of stirring unnecessary conflict.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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