Kerala High Court pulls up Youth Congress for flash hartal, calls it contempt

The Kerala High Court has slammed the Youth Congress for calling for a flash hartal on Monday after two of its workers were hacked to death in Kasaragod on Sunday. Calling the call for hartal contempt of court and in violation of its January 3 order, the High Court suo motu took cognizance of the matter. The High Court had in January issued an interim order against declaring flashing hartals without the prior notice of seven days.

A division bench led by Chief Justice Hrishikesh Roy had observed that the party which had called for the hartal would face severe consequences, reported Manorama. It also sought details from the government on the steps taken to counter the hartal, reminding the state that it was duty bound to implement the court’s order.  

The court also issued notice to three office bearers including Youth Congress state President Dean Kuriakose, and United Democratic Front (UDF) chairperson of Kasargod district.   

According to Asianet News, the High Court also observed that the media also has a responsibility to not make news about unlawful hartals and also stated that the media has a responsibility to inform the public that the hartal is unlawful.

The hartal has affected normal life across Kerala with buses blocked, passengers forced to disembark and several shops shut.

Early on Monday Youth Congress state President Dean Kuriakose had taken to Facebook to call for a hartal.  “As a protest against the brutal murder by the CPI(M), the Youth Congress is calling for a state-wide dawn-to-dusk peaceful hartal on Monday,” announced Dean Kuriakose in his Facebook page.

Kripesh and Sarath Lal, two Youth Congress workers were hacked to death allegedly by CPI(M) workers near Periya in the Kasaragod district of Kerala on Sunday.

The United Democratic Front (UDF) has blamed the ruling CPI(M) for the murders. Mullappally Ramachandran, the President of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee told the press that this murder was a planned one executed by goons attached to the CPI (M). "Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who also holds the Home portfolio should explain this ghastly incident. This is not acceptable to the Kerala society... its high time that the CPI (M) directs its cadres to lay down arms," he said.