Day-long hartal called by Youth Congress begins in Kerala over murder of two workers; national highways blocked, stones pelted

Thiruvananthapuram: Roads and national highways were blocked in various places and state-owned buses were stoned as the flash hartal called by the Youth Congress, to protest the killing of two of its activists allegedly by ruling CPM workers, began in Kerala on Monday.

The state-wide dawn-to-dusk hartal was called past midnight by the Youth Congress leadership through social media, hours after its workers — Sarath Lal and Kripesh — were killed in northern Kasaragod district. Normal life was not affected much in the initial hours of the hartal as it was announced late night and the public got the information about it very late.

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Youth Congress activists blocked vehicles in various districts including Kozhikode, Kollam, Idukki and Ernakulam. KSRTC buses were pelted with stones by the protesters in several places. Shops and hotels also remained closed in many places.

The state capital Thiruvananthapuram was exempted from the protest in view of the famous temple festival, Attukal Pongala on 20 February, Youth Congress sources said. University and school model examinations were postponed. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also cancelled his various programmes due to the hartal, official sources said.

State director general of police Loknath Behera on Monday gave directions to the police to take stringent action against those involved in any violence in the name of hartal. According to police, the gruesome murder of the two Youth Congress activists took place when they were returning home after attending a local function in Kasaragod Sunday night.

They were stopped by an unidentified gang and hacked to death, police added. Though the Opposition Congress lashed out at the ruling CPM for the twin murder, the latter has categorically denied any role in the incident.

Soon after the incident, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala had said the CPM was trying to destroy the party using its goons. He had also alleged that the murder was a conspiracy hatched by the CPM as the Lok Sabha elections are round the corner. However, CPM Kasaragod district secretary MV Balakrishnan Master condemned the murder and denied his party's role in the killings.