Hartal disrupts life in pockets, largely peaceful

The dawn-to-dusk hartal called by various organisations in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) on Tuesday largely passed off peacefully in the district.

A bus belonging to the Kerala State Transport Corporation (KSRTC) was pelted with stones around 3 a.m. on Tuesday at Chowara, near Aluva. The police has named five persons in connection with the incident. But no arrests have been made. The ‘Minnal’ bus was going from Ernakulam to Munnar when it was attacked by miscreants.

The police have also taken into custody 27 persons, mostly from Muvattupuzha and Perumbavoor areas, during the hartal hours in connection with various incidents, including some involving attempts to block vehicular traffic. V.P. Pramod Kumar, deputy director at the State Police Media Centre, said that a total of 80 persons were taken into preventive custody in Ernakulam district in view of the day-long hartal. The total preventive arrests across the State was 367.