The dawn-to-dusk hartal organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday in protest against the killing of an RSS worker in Kannur on Monday was near-total in the State.
At several places, buses of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and other vehicles were stoned by hartal supporters. Country bombs were hurled at open shops at a few places in Kannur, but no one was injured seriously. Heavy security was mounted on the district to maintain peace.
Shops and commercial establishments remained closed in most parts of the State, while the KSRTC operated only skeleton services. The KSRTC cancelled services at places where its buses came under attack such as Kattakada and Neyyattinkara, near here. Many passengers were stranded in bus stations and railway stations. Attendance was thin in government offices and private establishments.
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Many people were forced to remain in their homes as even private vehicles could not operate freely. In some places in Malabar, roads were totally deserted. Many candidates for PSC tests had a hard time as PSC examinations scheduled for Tuesday were not postponed.
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said that no major violence had been reported during the hartal.
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PTI adds from Pune: A group of unidentified persons vandalised the city office of the CPI(M), but no one was injured in the attack, the police said. The party termed it as a ‘planned’ assault 0by elements from the ‘RSS parivar.’ The officer said the vandals raised slogans denouncing the CPI(M) for certain developments in Kerala.
PTI story: >RSS activist murder: hartal hits life in Kerala