Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Hartal near total in district

Photo: S. Mahinsha.

RISKY RIDE: A relative’s two-wheeler came in handy for the pillion riders who arrived in the city from Chennai on Friday. —

Thiruvananthapuram: The national strike called by the Bharathiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday to protest against the rise in the price of essential commodities was peaceful in the city, except for one incident of minor violence at Medical College junction.

Strike supporters smashed the windowpanes of a bar hotel that opened for business at 5 p.m. None were injured in the incident.

Sub Inspector (Medical College) J. K. Dinil arrested three BJP workers in connection with the violence. The suspects are Pongmoodu Harishkumar, Pongmoodu Santosh and Harikumar. Mr. Dinil said they will be produced before the court on the charge of trespass, destruction of private property, unlawful assembly and rioting. A long queue of regular consumers had been standing in front of the bar hotel from 4.30 p.m. onwards. This could have prompted the hotel management to open early, the police said.

The police provided protection for Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses that operated on a convoy basis in the city. The police also escorted over 300 buses carrying software professionals to the Technopark at Kazhakuttom.

Law enforcers attended to over 100 distress calls from citizens. Most of the calls were from passengers stranded at the international airport and also the central railway station. They were requesting conveyance to nearby hotels and houses of relatives in the city, an official said.

The police ferried several ill people, including pregnant women and senior citizens, to city hospitals. Senior police officers lend their own vehicles and drivers for the effort. Those in distress were mainly calling the City Police Control room for help.

The police deployed in strength for strike duty in the city at 5 a.m. They remained on the road till 6 p.m. Police patrols removed minor road blocks in some areas in the morning. The police had detained several anti-social elements on Thursday night as a preventive measure.

Key Government offices in the city reported 50 per cent attendance. People moved around mainly on two wheelers in the morning. After 2 p.m., four wheelers, mostly private cars, were seen on the roads in significant numbers. Shops and restaurants remained closed. Chalai and Palayam markets wore a deserted look.

Passengers bound for Tamil Nadu from the KSRTC bus stand at Thampanoor were stranded after the KSRTC temporarily called of its inter-State service following reports that strike supporters had attacked its buses at Thuckulay and Marthandam in Tamil Nadu. The police swung lathis to disperse a mob of strike supporters at Balaramapuram. G. Ajikumar, a BJP worker who was injured was admitted to the Neyyatinkara taluk hospital.

The police arrested 25 strike supporters who attempted to block the national highway at Parassala. Strike supporters smashed the windscreens of a lorry at Aryanadu.

The strike was near-total in the district.

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