Hartal against fuel price hike paralyses life in Kerala

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Stray incidents of attack on vehicles marked the dawn to dusk hartal called by LDF and BJP and motor strike called by various organisations in Kerala on Monday protesting the petrol price hike.

The hartal was almost total with vehicles keeping off the roads and commercial establishments pulling down shutters. Majority of government offices and private establishments did not function due to thin attendance.

Attack on buses and private vehicles were reported from some parts of the state including Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram.

A tourist bus carrying persons to a marriage function in the capital was attacked by hartal supporters in Kollam. However, there were no major casualties.

KSRTC driver M. Murali suffered minor injuries after hartal supporters threw stones at a super-fast bus at Alappuzha. Stones were pelted at KSRTC buses in Parasala during the wee hours of Monday. They operated limited services with police protection.

Large numbers of Sabarimala pilgrims were held up at Pampa for hours. Hartal supporters attacked a KSEB office at Chithirapuram in Idukki.

A section of BJP workers damaged properties at Income Tax office in Kozhikode.Hundreds of passengers were stranded at airports and railway stations due to unavailability of sufficient transport facilities. Police and various voluntary organisations offered free transport to those in distress.

There were also interesting episodes. While one person volunteered to supply biriyani packets to police personnel who were on duty in Kottayam town, a farmer in Thodupuzha travelled through the town with his family in a bullock cart. A group of KSU activists also played badminton at Karunagapally bus stand on hartal day.