A flash hartal called by the Hindu Aikya Vedi following the arrest of its leader K.P.Sasikala at Pathanamthitta brought normal life to a grinding halt in large parts of Kerala on Saturday.
The state-wide dawn-to-dusk hartal affected bus services, inconveniencing commuters. Groups of hartal supporters were out on the roads by early morning forcing hotels and tea shops to down their shutters. Commuters who arrived by train were stranded at railway stations as taxis and autorickshaws refused to ply.
Sporadic incidents of stone-throwing were reported from Thiruvananthapuram.
The disruption of bus services across the State affected the pilgrim inflow to Sabarimala. Initial reports said the number of pilgrims arriving at the hill shrine had slowed down to a trickle.
Ms. Sasikala was arrested by police late Friday at Marakkoottam on her way to Sabarimala. Two leaders of the Sabarimala Achara Samrakshana Samithi were also arrested in connection with the violent protests at Sabarimala last month. Terming the arrests as police excess, the BJP has supported the call for hartal.
The Hindu Aikya Vedi had issued the call for hartal early morning, catching citizens off guard.
The Higher Secondary equivalency examination has been cancelled in view of the hartal.
The Kerala University has also cancelled the contact classes organised by the distance education department.
The district school-level science fair has been postponed.
