Kerala - Kozhikode   

Protest against opening of hyper market in Kozhikode

Kozhikode: The opening of hyper market of Spencer Retail Limited in the city had some tense moments when activists of the Vyapari Vyavasayi Samithi tried to barge into the Focus Mall, the building housing the hyper-market on Friday.

When the police stopped activists trying to barge into the building, stones were thrown at the building.

The police took nearly 15 activists, including its district secretary C.K. Vijayan into custody.

A case was registered in this connection.

The venue was a scene of protest as activists of the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi, the Democratic Youth Federation of India and the All India Youth Federation (AIYF) marched to the building housing the hyper market on Friday. The shops in and around Mavoor Road closed down in protest against the opening of the hyper market till noon on Friday.

Film star Roma inaugurated the hyper-market in the midst of protests. Later, addressing a press conference, Samar Sheikhawat, vice-president, marketing, Spencer’s Retail Limited, said it would sell products at market prices.

“We are not in the price game,” he said.

Ramesh Menon, senior vice-president, Operations Spencer’s Retail Limited, said the company was not a new one to Kerala.

Spencer’s started in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode in 1921. “Hence there is no reason to protest against us. No retailers had shut shops in Thiruvananthapuram because of us,” he said.

The Calicut Chapter of Kerala Builders Forum has condemned the stoning of Focus Mall building housing the hyper-market of the Spencer’s Retail Limited by protesters here on Friday.

In a statement here, K.V. Haseeb Ahamed, forum chairman, said the Spencer’s hyper market was only one of the 40 shops in Focus Mall. Shops in West Nadakkave, East Nadakkave, West Hill, and Meenchanda in the city will down shutters under the aegis of the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi (KVVES) on Saturday. T. Nazirudeen, State president of the KVVES, in a statement here on Friday said the protest was against the opening of Reliance outlets.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Brahmasthanam festival begins on Tuesday
Hartal partial in Koyilandy
Pharmacists hail decision on licence
Protest against opening of hyper market in Kozhikode
Project to improve standard of students
Applications invited
Lecture series
Kozhikode Today

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu