PDP hartal today

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, DEC. 5. The People's Democratic Party (PDP) has called for a State-wide hartal tomorrow, the demolition day of the Babri Masjid.

Addressing a press conference here today, PDP corporation councillor, Mr. Poonthura Siraj, said the Sabarimala pilgrimage and the Anandotsavom to be held at Thrissur in connection with the arrival in Kerala of the founder of the Art of Living Foundation, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, have been exempted from the hartal.

The demand of the PDP is that the Babri Masjid be reconstructed at the same site and that union ministers, Mr. L. K. Advani, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi and Ms. Uma Bharati be expelled from the Union cabinet for their role in the demolition.

The recent speech made by the Chief Minister, Mr. E. K. Nayanar, at Coimbatore, reveals the deep-seated conspiracy behind the imprisonment of the PDP chairman, Mr. Abdul Naser Madani. Taking into consideration the grave health condition of Mr. Madani, the authorities concerned should shift him from the prison hospital to a regular hospital, he said.

Deploring the ongoing violence at Kannur, he said steps should be immediately taken to revoke the recognition given to the CPI(M) and the BJP as political parties, in view of their involvement in the ongoing political murders.

Meanwhile, the official machinery has been geared up to meet any exigency arising out of the State-wide `hartal' called by the PDP.

Security arrangements were complete with strict vigil maintained over major places of worship, strategic locations and communally sensitive areas.

Tight security has been imposed at airports, railway stations and bus terminals.

Dog squads and bomb squads have been deployed at all major railway stations. Trains were being searched and passengers screened. At the Central Bus Station of the KSRTC at Thampannor, metal detectors have been installed to screen passengers.

Extra vigil was being maintained at Sabarimala and places enroute, according to official sources.

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