Normal life was thrown out of gear in the district in the dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the United Democratic Front (UDF) the district on Wednesday in protest against the police action on Youth Congress and Kerala Students Union (KSU) activists.
Shops, markets, and business establishments remained closed. The normally crowded bus stands at Thampanoor and East Fort wore a deserted look as Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and private buses stayed off the road. The city and rural services of the KSRTC kept off the road, with only two long-distance services operating from the capital. Passengers who reached the Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station had a tough time commuting to their destinations with autorickshaws too staying off the road. The usual convoy service from the railway station to the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) and the Government Medical College Hospital also did not operate.
Stray incidents of violence were reported from some parts of the district.
Hartal supporters downed the shutters of public sector banks and bank ATMs at the Statue junction and other places. Activists also allegedly barged into the BSNL customer service centre at Statue and broke a glass panel at the reception.
Traffic was blocked along the highway at Parassala, Neyyatinkara, Karamana, Attingal, Varkala, Mangalapuram, and a few other places.
Private vehicles and taxi cabs were stopped at Palayam. Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac’s car was blocked near Bakery Junction. UDF activists also occupied the underpass.
KSRTC depot attacked
At Kattakada, the KSRTC depot came under attack. According to the Kattakada police, a group of hartal supporters damaged the computers, other peripherals, and cupboards at the office.
Losses due to the damages have been calculated to be around Rs.2.5 lakh. A case has been registered against five individuals and 20 others, who can be identified by sight. At Killi near Kattakada, two persons on a motorcycle threw stones at a KSRTC bus, damaging the glasses of the rear window. A KSRTC bus conductor was allegedly assaulted by four persons near the Venjaramoodu depot. The Venjaramoodu police had also taken 16 individuals into preventive custody. They were later released on bail. By 4 p.m., KSRTC started operating a few services and some restaurants also started functioning.
