Holiday for Kerala secretariat for parade practice

With the Left opposition not acceding to the request of the Kerala government to allow the practice parade for Independence Day at the Central Stadium, the government has decided to give a two-day holiday to state secretariat employees.

"We decided to give the holidays to the state secretariat (employees) because it would be a shame if the Independence Day parade (Aug 15) is not held without proper practice," Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said.

"We had requested the Left opposition to allow NCC students to practice at the stadium. But because of the siege, they could not reach the stadium. If we give holidays to the secretariat, the siege will be lifted and the practice parade can be held," Chandy said.

Thousands of Left protestors Monday blocked three of the four gates of the state secretariat to press for Chief Minister Oommen Chandy's resignation in the "solar scam" case and ordering a judicial probe.

The secretariat is the seat of the Kerala government. The Left opposition had announced that starting Monday, no one would be allowed to enter it until Chandy resigns for his alleged links to the "solar scam".

On the ongoing siege, Chandy said that by Friday a police probe team would submit the charge sheet in five more cases, taking the total charge sheets to seven in the "solar scam" case.