A dawn-to-dusk 12-hour hartal called by Hindu outfits began on Thursday morning in protest against the entry of two women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple of Lord Ayyappa.
As per initial reports, auto-rickshaws and two-wheelers were plying at the railway station in the State capital and various other places. But in Kozhikode, protesters blocked vehicles and burnt tyres in the morning. The hartal, which began at 6 a.m., has been called by Sabarimala Karma Samithi, an umbrella organisation of various pro-Hindutva groups, spearheading protests against the Supreme Court’s September 28 verdict, and Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP). The BJP is supporting the shutdown while the Congress-led UDF is observing a “black day” on Thursday. - PTI
No early SC hearing for contempt petition against Tantri
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court declined early hearing to the contempt petition filed against SabarimalaTemple Tantri for performing the purification process after 2 women entered the temple on Wednesday.
"We have kept the date as January 22," said the Chief Justice of India. "We have arranged our schedules for that, so we will hear it then," he said.
Hartal near total in Kannur; marred by isolated incidents
The State-wide is near total in Kannur, paralysing normal life. Isolated incidents of attacks by hartal supporters have been reported from different parts of the district. Shops and commercial establishments remained closed here and public transport vehicles, including KSRTC buses, were off the roads. Police vehicles were used to help stranded passengers at the Kannur railway station.
Pink police vehicle helping stranded passengers at the Kannur railway station | Photo Credit: S.K. Mohan
A vehicle of Thanalveedu Charitable Trust was attacked at Thalikkavu here near the district office of the Bharatiya Janata Party at around 10 a.m. The vehicle was on its way to take a staff of the trust at Mele Chovva. The vehicle was completely damaged. A staff of the trust, who was in the vehicle when the attack took place, said that the hartal supporters deflated tyres and smashed glasses. They also took away the ignition key of the vehicle and mobile phones.
Two goods auto rickshaws of the Chirakkal panchayat were also damaged by hartal supporters late last night. A restaurant near the railway station here also came under attack.
KSRTC yet to commence services
Hundreds who depend on fleet of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation had been hit as the State transport undertaking had not not been able to operate services on Thursday due to the dawn-to-dusk hartal.
Though the police had extended escort if services are operated, the KSRTC is keeping fingers crossed as 80-odd buses were damaged across the State on Wednesday in the State-wide violence following entry of two child bearing women into Sabarimala Ayyappa temple.
The services were suspended from 10 p.m. last night. No service has operated from the central bus station of the KSRTC in Thiruvanthapuram. However, chain services of KSRTC is plying in Nilackal-Pampa-Nilackal corridor to the much relief of Sabarimala devotees.
A luxury bus of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation was damaged in stone pelting near CRPF camp at Pallipuram along NH 66 today morning. No one was injured in the incident. The bus was on its way from Mysuru to the State capital.
The bus of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation that was damaged in stone pelting near CRPF camp at Pallipuram in Thiruvananthapuram | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
No other incident of attack on stage carriers had been reported in first three hours of hartal.
- Reports S. Anil Radhakrishnan from Thiruvananthapuram
In Malappuram, A CPI(M) branch committee office was set on fire allegedly by the Sangh Parivar activists at Tavanur as the hartal evoked sharp response across the district.
Public transport vehicles are keeping off the road, but autorickshaws, cars and bikes are plying.
Police arrested two BJP workers for blocking the road at Manjeri. Although traders said they would function as usual, their shops are yet to open.
Protests erupt after two women enter Sabarimala
Two women, Kanakadurga (44) and Bindu (42), created history be stepping into the hallowed precincts guarded by police three months after the Supreme Court’s historic judgement lifting the ban on entry of girls and women between 10 and 50 years of age into the shrine of Lord Ayyappa, its “eternally celibate” deity.
As the news spread like wildfire from the hill shrine, protests erupted at several places, with Hindu right-wing activists blocking highways and forcing closure of shops and markets.
BJP and CPI(M) workers clashed in front of the Secretariat for over five hours Wednesday as police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse them.
A 55-year-old man, who was seriously injured in stone throwing at Pandalam, died late Wednesday night.
Merchants’ organisations have said they would not cooperate with the hartal and keep shops and business establishments open.
Meanwhile, state DGP Loknath Behara has warned of strict action against those indulging in violence during the hartal.
Various universities, including Kerala, Mahatma Gandhi, Calicut and Kannur have postponed their examinations scheduled for Thursday. - PTI