PFI hartal in Kerala turns violent; KSRTC buses, cars pelted with stones, over 100 held
Violent mobs targeted a number of Kerala state road transport corporation buses in Kollam, Malappuram, Wayanad, Alappuzha, Thrissur, Pathanamthitta and Thiruvananthapuram. A number of private vehicles and trucks were also pelted with stones.
FollowThe hartal, called by the Popular Front of India in Kerala to protest against the raids carried out across the country by the central agencies led by the National Investigation Agency, has seen multiple incidents of arson and violence. The PFI had called for a dawn to dusk bandh against the alleged "RSS-controlled fascist government's attempt to silence dissenting voices using the central agencies".
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A violent mob targeted a number of Kerala state road transport corporation buses in Kollam, Malappuram, Wayanad, Alappuzha, Thrissur, Pathanamthitta and Thiruvananthapuram. A number of private vehicles and trucks were also pelted with stones.
A local PFI leader, who was fleeing after pelting stones at a KSRTC bus in Thrissur, was arrested by the police. A 15-year-old girl was injured in Kozhikode, and an auto-rickshaw driver was hurt in the stone pelting allegedly by PFI activists in Kannur.
KSRTC buses were pelted with stones at three places in Thiruvananthapuram. In one incident, stones were pelted on the bus coming from Karakonam to Thiruvananthapuram. The driver informed me that two people on a bike pelted stones. Stones were pelted in front and behind the bus. Fortunately, no passenger was injured.
Another KSRTC bus was pelted with stones on the Kattakkada-Anchutheng route. The attack took place on the bus going from Arumanoor to Poovar. Private vehicles were attacked in Thiruvananthapuram's Kumari Chanta location. A car on its way to the airport and an auto-rickshaw were vandalized by a mob who pelted stones while chanting slogans.
A lorry driver was seriously injured in stone pelting by hartal supporters at Pushpa Junction in Kozhikode. Driver Jinu Habibullah, a native of Varkala, Thiruvananthapuram, was injured. He was admitted to Beach Hospital. A petrol bomb was reportedly hurled at a vehicle which was carrying newspapers for distribution at Narayanpara in Kannur in the morning.
Earlier this morning, police lathi-charged PFI workers in Erattupetta in the Kottayam district after the latter tried to block vehicles passing through the town. Around 100 people were taken into custody and taken to Pala and Erattupetta police stations. Pala DySP Girish P Sarathi is camping at the spot along with a large police force.
High Court to state govt: Take stern action
The Kerala High Court took a case on its own over the hartal and subsequent sporadic incidents of violence. The court reminded us that it had banned the calling of hartals earlier and that destruction of public property is unacceptable.
Urging the Pinarayi Vijayan government to use all possible means to stop any form of violence, the court also asked the administration to take stern action against those who violate the court order banning hartals.
To note, over 150 members of the PFI were taken into custody from 11 states in one of the biggest raids carried out in NIA's history. The raids were conducted as part of the investigation into support for terror activities in the country.
Also Read: NIA raids in India: PFI, a 'neo-social' movement under the lens for 'terror' activities
