Thiruvananthapuram: Thirty three organizations, mostly composed of communal organizations, have called for a hartal tomorrow to protest against Citizenship Amendment Act, and the National Register of Citizens. Kerala DGP, Loknath Behera, has said that the hartal is illegal as the organizers have not given a notice in this regard.
The hartal is called by a Joint Action Committee of a group of 33 outfits, which include Kerala Muslim Youth Federation, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), Welfare Party, Solidarity Organization etc.
The police chief asked the outfits to withdraw the hartal and warned that they would face legal action if they went ahead with the hartal.
Behera said, “As per the High Court’s instruction, notice has to be issued seven days before the hartal. This was not done by the outfits that have called for hartal on Tuesday. Hence, it is illegal. A notice was sent in this regard to the concerned people. If they resort to hartal avoiding all these warnings, legal action will be taken against them.”
The BJP has said that the hartal is unnecessary and is aimed at communal and political gains and also against the interest of the nation.
The party has also accused the ruling Left Democratic Front and the opposition United Democratic Front was backing these extremists groups.
Former Mizoram Governor and BJP leader, Kummanam Rajasekharan, said, “The hartal called on December 17 is unnecessary and aimed at communal and political gains and against the interest of the nation.”
