KOCHI: The High Court on Friday directed the state government to take steps to ensure law and order is maintained during the hartal called by various Hindu organisations on July 30. It also ordered to make sure the hartal will not lead to forced disruption of normal life.
Justice Devan Ramachandran issued the interim order on a petition filed by Raja P Nair, leader of Say No to Hartal (SNTH) movement in Kochi, seeking a directive to the state government to make arrangements to meet the needs of the people during hartal. He also sought to declare hartal is unconstitutional and ban such hartals without prior notice.
The organisations had called the hartal in protest against the government stance in favour of the entry of women in the 10-50 age group in Sabarimala.