Kerala HC issues notices to IUML, BJP on hartal

Kochi, Oct 30 (UNI) Expressing displeasure over the 'inaction' on the part of the government to implement its orders, a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court today issued notices to the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on a Public Interest Litigation against hartals.

Chief Justice H L Dathu and Mr Justice K T Shankaran, while making an oral observation, said there was 'inaction' on the government's part in taking effective steps to impose restrictions on conduct of hartals and bandhs.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Thrissur-based 'One Earth, One Life', an NGO, which wanted a direction to the state to take immediate and effective steps to ensure the safety of people during hartals.

The petitioner also sought a direction to the state to protect the right of the people to work and travel and to protect public property during the hartal.

The petitioner submitted that though there were several directions from the court to take steps during hartal, nothing had been done by the state government.

Stating that the government should take steps to ensure that its orders were implemented, the court asked the Advocate General to file a statement on the various steps being taken by the government on the hartal day.

It issued a notice to the BJP which called for a state-wide hartal on November one to protest against carving out Salem Division from Palakkad Division. The notice was issued to the IUML which had observed a Malabar hartal on October 27 against the 'apathy' of the Centre towards Karipur Airport.

UNI