BJP’s secretariat march turns violent, hartal in Tvm today

Thiruvananthapuram: BJP has called for a dawn-to-dusk hartal in Thiruvananthapuram district on Tuesday to protest against police action against BJP-Yuva Morcha-Mahila Morcha workers in front of secretariat on Monday.
As many as 11 Mahila Morcha workers and seven policemen suffered minor injuries in the commotion. The M G Road stretch in front of secretariat witnessed tense scenes when the BJP, Mahila Morcha and Yuva Morcha workers and leaders took out a march to the secretariat gate by Monday noon. They were demanding immediate steps by the state government to save the life of BJP state general secretary A N Radhakrishnan, who had been staging an indefinite hunger strike in front of secretariat since December 3 in connection with Sabarimala agitation.

BJP workers tried to break the police barricade, forcing police to use water cannon and tear gas shells. The tension got escalated when a woman worker suffered wounds in stone pelting. However, further violence was averted after leaders pacified the cadres.

Meanwhile, police arrested Radhakrishnan and shifted him to medical college hospital by evening as doctors recommended medical aid for the leader. “There is nothing to worry about his health. He is tired due to the prolonged fast. His vital statistics remain satisfactory and is under observation in ICU,” hospital authorities said. BJP former state president C K Padmanabhan took over the fast demanding withdrawal of prohibitory orders in Sabarimala.

Min, MLA meet CM: Union minister of state for tourism K J Alphons and MLA O Rajagopal called on chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the evening, seeking a solution to the ongoing protests over Sabarimala issue. According to a Facebook post by Alphons, the leaders urged the CM to drop cases charged against devotees and withdraw the prohibitory orders in Sabarimala. However, the CM is learnt to have refused to heed to their demand. In a short video posted by the Union minister, the trio was heard debating jovially whether chanting ‘Sarana mantra’ and ‘namajapa’ are same or not.

Exams postponed: APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University has postponed all its examinations scheduled for the day to December 18. Examinations in government and aided schools scheduled for Tuesday would take place on December 21. CBSE and ICSE schools in the district have also cancelled the examinations and regular classes. There is no change in Kerala University exams.