Petrol bomb attack: BJP hartal in Thiruvananthapuram begins

The dawn-to-dusk hartal called by BJP in Thiruvananthapuram district has begun, after the party office in the capital was attacked on Wednesday night.

Two unidentified persons on a two-wheeler hurled a petrol bomb at the BJP's district office in Thiruvananthapuram at around 8.30 pm on Wednesday. Fortunately no one was in the office when the incident took place. A chair in front of the office was also found in a burnt condition, the police said.

BJP district president S Suresh alleged that CPM was behind the attack and alleged that the police came to the spot very late. Suresh said the party has called for a 12-hour hartal in the district.

The BJP has also called for a hartal in Cherthala municipality, while clashes between BJP and CPM workers have been reported in other parts of the state as well.

The attack on the BJP office and the CPM-BJP clashes come in the backdrop of the attempt to manhandle CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, by two men who claimed they were members of a group called Hindu Sena, in New Delhi on Wednesday evening.

• hartal
• BJP
• CPM
• Sitaram Yechury