Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan convened an all- party meeting to discuss the hartal issue here on March 14.
The meeting will be held at the Chief Minister’s conference hall. The decision to the meet comes in the wake of High Court’s severe criticism and strong action against hartals including flash strike.
A cross section of people including traders, small shopkeepers, Kerala Vyapari Vyavsayi Ekopana Samiti, Indian Medical Association (IMA) and various private establishments had opposed the recent hartals. Some of these organisations came face to face with organisers resulting in clashes. The CM had informed Assembly in January about a plan to convene a meet on the issue
The all party meeting is likely to discuss the pros and cons of the Anti Hartal Bill which was formulated during the tenure of previous UDF government. The government is also concerned about unannounced hartals by fringe groups and widespread violence during shutdown. The High Court last week ordered that Youth Congress state president Dean Kuriakose should be made an accused in all cases registered in the state during flash hartal.
He was also asked to grant compensation for the damages incurred during the hartal called to protest the brutal murder of Youth Congress workers at Peirya in Kasargod on Sunday.
Widespread violence and loss to property was witnessed during the back to back hartals called by Sabarimala Karma Samiti with the backing of BJP- Sangh Parivar outfits in the past couple of months. 4,162 persons were arrested in 772 cases registered in connection with the violence during hartal called by Sabarimala Karma Samiti on January 3.
Since November, 64 cases of damage to property had been registered in which 1,171 persons were taken into custody. The total number of accused in these cases stood at 5,394.
