UDF workers clash with police, block vehicles and close shops as dawn-to-dusk hartal begins in Wayanad

UDF-led hartal in Wayanad protests government inaction on wild animal attacks, leading to clashes with police and shop closures.

Activists of the Congress, Indian Union Muslim League and their allies blocked vehicles and forcefully closed shops in many parts of Wayanad as the dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the United Democratic Front in the district began on Thursday (February 13). The hartal is in protest against the alleged government failure in preventing increasing instances of wild animal attacks in the district.

According to reports, the UDF workers also had altercations with the police in some places. The police took into custody some Congress workers who obstructed vehicle movement at Lakkidi near the Kozhikode-Wayanad border and Chungam Junction in the morning. Private buses are not conducting any services, but those operated by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation could be seen on the roads. Private vehicles too could be spotted.

Meanwhile, the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi, an organisation representing merchants and traders, submitted a memorandum to the district police chief seeking protection to conduct their businesses. Its members said that around 20,000 shops had been functioning in the district and such flash hartals were illegal.

This is the second hartal in as many days in the district. The Kerala unit of the All-India Trinamool Congress and the Farmers’ Relief Forum had conducted another hartal on February 12 after Manu, a native of Tamil Nadu, was found dead at Noolpuzha on February 11. He was trampled by an elephant the previous day. In a similar incident, Balakrishnan of Attamala was found dead on February 12.