hartal-


KOZHIKODE: The Congress has announced a hartal in Kozhikode district tomorrow in the wake of clashes during the Chevayur Service Co-operative Bank elections. The hartal is from 6 am to 6 am. DCC president Praveen and MK Raghavan MP announced the hartal at a press conference.

The clash took place during the Chevayur Service Co-operative Bank elections held today. Vehicles carrying voters were attacked. The polling was held at the Government Higher Secondary School, Parayanchery. The contest is between the official panel of the Congress and the Congress rebels backed by the CPM. The rebels are contesting in the name of the bank protection committee. The Congress has alleged that the CPM-backed Bank Protection Committee is behind the attack.

The Congress leaders demanded that the elections be cancelled.

"CPM has done around 5,000 bogus votes. 10,000 Congress voters were not allowed to vote. The police were complicit in the CPM's violence. When the Kozhikode commissioner was called, he did not even pick up the phone. Congress workers were injured in the CPM attack. Women voters were manhandled. CPM activists, who are not voters, arrived around 4 am. Many came with fake ID cards. Although it was said that more policemen would be sent, there was no intervention. CPM carried out a Kannur model of attack," the Congress leaders said.