The dawn-to-dusk hartal sponsored by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Sabarimala Karma Samithi on Thursday was total in Pathanamthitta.
The hartal supporters unleashed violence in many parts of the district. They attacked Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] offices at Pullad, Ranni, Kozhencherry, and Angadickal. The protest marches turned violent at Adoor.
Bus under attack
A KSRTC bus parked in the garage in Pathanamthitta was attacked and there were also reports of attack on private vehicles at Adoor, Pandalam, Ranni, Konni and Mallappally.
The police arrested three persons in connection with the death of a BJP worker at Pandalam on Wednesday evening.
Stone throwing
The arrested were identified as Kannan, 30; Aju, 22; and Ariff, 19, the police said.
The BJP worker, Chandran Unnithan, 55, was killed and 10 others injured when a group of miscreants threw stones at a protest march staged by the Sabarimala Karma Samithi workers in Pandalam town on Wednesday evening. A civil police officer, Rajesh, too suffered head injury in the incident.
The samithi workers, including women and children, were taking out a march from the Manikantan Althara junction to the town via the KSRTC bus station in the evening.
Banners destroyed
The Sangh Parivar activists allegedly destroyed banners and boards erected by the DYFI workers in connection with the forthcoming State meet of the Bala Sanghom in Pathanamthita town.
A circle inspector and a civil police officer were injured in stone throwing in Pathanamthitta town in the afternoon.
All towns and village headquarters wore a deserted look as shops and other business establishments remained close in view of the hartal.
55 arrested
As many as 55 persons have been arrested in connection with violence occurred in different parts of the district in the past 48 hours.
The police had also made 13 preventive arrests in the district in view of the hartal.
