KOZHIKODE: The district leaderships of the BJP and the UDF have called for a dawn-to-dusk hartal in Kozhikode district on July 1 in protest against the attack by DYFI workers on the members of the Azhimathi Virudha Janakeeya Munnani (AVJM), who were staging a mass dharna near the Public Library on Monday.
The hartal will be observed from 6 am to 4 pm. Vehicles and other necessary services will be exempted from the hartal. The RMP has also expressed its support for the hartal.
Following the attack, BJP district president P Raghunath, Azhimathi Virudha Janakeeya Munnani general convener K P Vijayakumar, P Peethambaran (BJP) and PM Premraj of Nadakkavu Vikasana Samithi suffered injuries and were admitted to the Beach Hospital.
According to BJP area secretary K Shybu, the DYFI activists attacked the protesters while BJP district president P Raghunath was addressing them. DYFI district committee leaders Jamsheer,Varun Bhaskar and Pramod were leading the protest march of around 100 activists to the dharna venue at around 4.30 pm.
Without any provocation they attacked the protesters and destroyed the chairs,” he said.
AVJM was conducting the dharna demanding the ouster of CPM councillor K Sini,who allegedly filed a fake complaint against five people in a case related to sexual harassment, from the City Corporation Council. KPCC general secretaryK Jayanth inaugurated the dharna.
“We will not force the public to keep off the roads but at the same time we request them to join us since the DYFI workers caused trouble to the protesters who stand for a corruption-free Corporation,” said K Shybu.
Corporation Mayor A K Premajam said that the Corporation has done nothing to suppress the protest by the Azhimathi Virudha Janakeeya Munnani .