Police crack down on hartal organisers

The police on Tuesday mounted a crackdown on youths who had gone about blocking vehicles, vandalising shops and other establishments to enforce the hartal on Monday, taking hundreds into custody and slapping cases under various charges against them.

Simultaneously, the State police also began to investigate the way radical elements from different political formations came together to organise the hartal, thereby causing a serious law-and-order challenge.

Over 300 youngsters were held in Malappuram district, which had witnessed extensive vandalism by groups of youths roaming the streets. The police registered around 100 cases against them for destruction of public property and engaging the police in pitched street battles.

The cyber cell began an investigation on the spread of communal hatred through the social media and the district police authorities indicated that more arrests would be made in the coming days.

Hartal peaceful

A hartal called by the traders at Tanur in protest against the attacks on shops was peaceful on Tuesday. Shops remained closed while road traffic was normal. A strong police force was posted at Tanur as part of enhancing surveillance.

The police have banned rallies and public meetings for a week in the Tanur, Tirur and Parappanangadi regions. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president Kummanam Rajasekharan visited Tanur on Tuesday and blamed the government failure for Monday’s violence.

He said the acts of vandalism had been planned well before the hartal, targeting the shops run by Hindus. Calling the hartal supporters anti-nationals, Mr. Rajasekharan demanded an inquiry by the National Investigation Agency.

Indian Union Muslim League State president Syed Hyderali Shihab Thangal said that violent protests against the Kathua incident would undermine the movement being generated to ensure justice for the eight-year-old rape victim. He said the deeds of violence in the name of protest would destroy the secular movement for justice by various like-minded organizations.

In Kasaragod, the police arrested 105 persons charging them with various offences. As many as 17 non-bailable cases under provisions of Sections 353, (deterring public personnel for discharging duty) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt on public servant) of the Indian Penal Code against them.

In Palakkad, the police initiated a damage control move by arresting 250 persons and invoking non-bailable charges against 92 among them. District police superintendent Pratheesh Kumar said the cyber wing of the investigators were now probing details of those who had forwarded the hartal call through WhatsApp in such a way as to create communal polarisation. Based on the outcome, more people would be arrested.