Steephan Kayyar

Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod (SP)

Kasargod, Jan 3: The Kerala state Hartal call given by BJP, Sangh Parivar outfits and Sabarimala Protection Committee to register protest against the entry of women considered ineligible to enter as per tenets of the shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala on Thursday January 3, has received total response in the district.

Some unsavoury incidents were reported from a few places. Vehicles are off the roads with only a handful of vehicles moving about. In an incident which happened Wednesday night, BJP office at Nileshwar was vandalized by unknown miscreants. Furniture and other items belonging to the party were found to have been strewn around.

The A K G Mandir at Kalliyat, Periya, was found to have been attacked and damaged. At numerous places, activists had placed deterrents to block movement of traffic, but the police moved swiftly to clear them. Tyres were burnt on the roads at places like Uppala, Manjeshwar, Kummble etc. The police removed these obstacles from the roads. They have also been taking all steps to ensure that undesirable incidents do not occur.

A couple moving in a scooter on Thursday January 3 morning fell to the road and suffered injuries after the wheels of their scooter came in contact with stones placed across the road by supporters of Hartal at Kanyappady on Badiyadka - Kumble road.

The couple was moving to Kumble when this accident happened. Both Aithappa (48) and his wife, Susheela (36), who suffered serious injuries, were shifted to a hospital at Mangaluru for treatment.

In another incident, black oil wasthrown at the office of Democratic Youth Federation of India's office at Badiyadka Kadambala. By the time people living nearby heard the sound and rushed to the spot, the miscreants had fled. Badiyadka station police personnel have launched an investigation into the incident.