Widespread violence was reported during the hartal called by the Munnar Protection Council at 10 grama panchayats in Devikulam taluk on Tuesday.
A tense situation prevailed for some time when the police took into custody five CPI(M) workers, including the personal assistant of Devikulam MLA S. Rajendran, for blocking vehicles. CPI(M) activists reached the Devikulam police station and forcibly released them. Within minutes, another police contingent arrived there and took them into custody. Cases were registered against them for blocking vehicles. CPI(M) activists gheraoed the police station and alleged that the police had tortured them in custody.
Land rights cancellation
The hartal was called in protest against the action of the Revenue Department cancelling the ownership rights of 20 acres of land held by Joice George, MP, and his family at Kottakambur village in Devikulam taluk.
Navy team blocked
Hartal supporters also blocked an Indian Navy team, including 14 senior officers, at Suryanelli. Stones were hurled at a vehicle accompanying the team. The team later reached the Munnar police station and was provided security for their journey to Kochi.
Hartal supporters allegedly attacked the driver of a tourist vehicle in Munnar town. They attacked a cameraman and a reporter of the Asianet channel and a cameraman of Janam TV.
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) did not run its services from the Munnar depot after hartal supporters prevented the staff from taking the vehicles out of the depot. They threw broken glass bottles on the road to prevent the passage of vehicles.
Activists of the Munnar Protection Council, CPI(M) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) took out marches and forcefully closed shops in Munnar town.
CPI keeps off hartal
The Communist Party of India (CPI) did not take part in the hartal alleging that it was a bid to scuttle the move to distribute title deeds, as it would expose encroachers.
The hartal was observed in Pallivasal, Bison Valley, Santhanpara, Chinnakanal, Marayur, Vattavada, Kanthallur, Munnar, Devikulam, and Vellathooval grama panchayats.
Congress march
Congress activists, led by former MLA A.K. Mani, took out a black flag march against the hartal. The Congress stand was that the hartal was to support big-time encroachers and the CPI(M) was trying to shield them.
The Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) took out a march in Thodupuzha in protest against the attack on mediapersons in Munnar.
