BJP today alleged anti-national forces were behind the violence in some parts of Kerala yesterday in connection with the 'hartal' observed in protest against the Kathua gang rape incident.
BJP today alleged anti-national forces were behind the violence in some parts of Kerala yesterday in connection with the 'hartal' observed in protest against the Kathua gang rape incident.
BJP President Kummanom Rajasekharan demanded that those who indulged in the violence be booked for terror and the matter be handed over to NIA for further probe.
He was speaking to reporters after visiting shops and houses targeted during the violence at Thiroor and Thanoor areas in Malappuram district.
Rajasekharan alleged that there was an ulterior motive behind the attacks and that both Congress and CPI(M) extended support to the shutdown call.
Stating that the 'hartal' cannot be viewed as a response to the rape of the child, he charged the state government with having failed to take any steps to check the violence and demanded that the source behind the attacks be traced.
He also alleged that certain police personnel took a stand in favour of the hartal supporters.
The hartal call was made on social media by some unidentified groups.
Meanwhile, State DGP Loknath Behra said a probe would be held as there was a possibility that anti-social elements could exploit this type of hartal call by unidentified groups.
"At least 200 persons were taken into custody across the state in connection with destruction of public property during the hartal," he said.
A 'hoax' hartal call on social media since April 15 to protest the alleged gang rape and murder of the eight-year-old girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir said a state-wide hartal against the incident would be observed on Monday and urged people to join the protest.
Hundreds of persons were yesterday taken into custody from various places for blocking public transport buses, forcibly downing shutters of shops and pelting stones at vehicles in the name of hartal.
Police said the hoax hartal call went viral as social media users shared the message without checking its veracity.
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