Normal life was affected in KeralaThursday as the state observed a shutdown on a call given by the oppositionCPI-M to protest the arrest of its leader in a murder case.
State-owned as well as private buses were off the road. Buttwo-wheelers and private cars were seen plying in some places.
Most of the offices and shops though remained shut while twounits of the central paramilitary forces took over the vantage points inKannur.
The arrested leader, P. Jayarajan is the CPI-M's Kannurdistrict secretary and a former legislator.
He was held Wednesday for his alleged involvement in themurder of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) worker Abdul Shukoor in February.
Jayarajan has been remanded in judicial custody for 14 daysin the Kannur jail.
Soon after his arrest, CPI-M workers went berserk in Kannurand the police faced a tough time preventing them from turning violent.
Their ire was directed towards the IUML and the Congress andmore than 20 offices of the two parties in Kannur were attacked.
The government called in central paramilitary forces and inthe early hours of Thursday, two units arrived from Coimbatore.
"Today, the central forces will conduct flag marches inand around Kannur and help local police maintain law and order," said anofficial.
While no major incidents have been reported, CPI-M workersput up road blocks at several places and stopped people who were out on thestreets in their vehicles.
"The Technopark IT campus here and the Infopark campusat Kochi is working. We reached offices early and a police convoy escorted thecompany vehicles," said M. Vasudevan, a Technopark official.
But attendances in state and central government offices wasminimal.
Jayarajan's counsel said he will Thursday approach the courtfor bail for the Marxist leader.