Cong hartal hits normal life in Ker, stray incidents of

The dawn-to-dusk hartal called by opposition Congress in Kerala affected normal life in the state today aspublic transport was off the roads and stray incidents of violence were reported from various places.

There were reports of stone-pelting at Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses, very few of which were seen on the roads, the police said.

A KSRTC bus driver was injured when the vehicle faced stone-pelting by the hartal supporters at Kayamkulam.

The window panes of a KSRTC bus, which was on its way to Guruvayur from Alappuzha, were damaged due to stone-pelting by the hartal supporters at Palarivattom in Kochi.
 

In Thrissur, police took some persons into custody for allegedly hurling stones at vehicles.

The hartal was called by the opposition party to protest the alleged "anti-people" policies of the BJP-led government at the Centre and CPI(M)-led government in the state and the rising petrol and diesel prices.

Dismissing as "baseless" the allegation that United Democratic Front (UDF) workers had indulged in violence during the hartal, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ramesh Chennithala said the CPI(M)-led LDF government was trying to "exaggerate" some incidents.

Shops, business establishments and banks were forcibly closed by the hartal supporters at several places, including in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kannur and Alappuzha, the police said.

The hartal supporters also tried to stop a vehicle from taking a pregnant woman to hospital in Kollam.

Following a complaint from the woman's family, the police have registered a case.

All the universities in the state had to postpone the examinations scheduled for the day in view of the protest, while the Public Service Commission exams were held.

In Thiruvananthapuram, UDF workers took out a march from the Palayam Martyr's Column to the secretariat, raising slogans against the central and state governments.