THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
The dawn to dusk statewide shutdown called by around 33 organisations on Tuesday in Kerala to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, began with the police taking around 100 people into preventive custody, from various parts of the state.
The authorities taking a strong stand against the protesters did not order a holiday to the educational institutions. The shutdown has been called by smaller political parties, who, though do not have any representation in the Kerala Assembly, has not had much effect as most of the shops and public vehicles plied as usual.
But in districts like Kannur, Kasargode, Palakkad and parts of Ernakulam, the protesters blocked public transport and forced shops to down the shutters. At some of the affected districts places, the police and the protesters were engaged in a face to face standoff and the police took about two dozen protesters into custody.
In the affected districts, it was mostly private vehicles that were seen on the roads. In the state capital city, normal life has not been affected, but stray cases of stoning of buses have been reported.
Among the political parties which have given the call for the shutdown are the SDPI and the Welfare Party and wherever they have some strength, their party activists were out on the streets to make it a success. Meanwhile, State Police chief Loknath Behra, on Monday warned the protesters that the call for the shutdown has not followed the Kerala High Court ruling which said that seven days notice should be given when calling for shutdowns and hence it is illegal, and strict action will be taken against the organisers.
