Express News Service By

KOCHI: Terming hartals and strikes held at public places as anti-constitutional and violation of fundamental rights, KPCC vice-president V D Satheesan MLA said that he would join the ‘Say No to Hartal’ movement as its programmes were evoking guilt in him.

“Say No to Hartal is a campaign initiated by a group of dedicated youth. I noticed the launch of the campaign and the work behind it with due respect to the organisers. For the past 15 years, I am having an anti-hartal stand. I have not attended such programmes, including the ones organised by my party, in the last 15 years, which I have informed the KPCC leadership timely,” Satheesan posted in his Facebook page.

“Our constitution is an unparalleled one, and the fundamental rights ensured by it are of vibrant in nature. Hartals and strikes at public places are violation of our fundamental rights, and they should be discouraged at any cost,” he said.

“The programmes of the Say No to Hartal group make me feel guilty. I have not done anything for society even when I took a personal stand against it. Hence, I am joining the campaign. All should stand united and work for such a good cause,” he explained.

The initiative was launched in Kochi as scores of passengers get stranded on the road during hartals, without any means to reach their destinations. Then, a group of youngsters in the city formed ‘Say No to Hartal’, realising the difficulties faced by commuters. Over the past couple of years, they have been providing their own vehicles to help the stranded passengers reach home.

Earlier, Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor MP and Hibi Eden MLA; and eminent personalities like Prof K S Radhakrishnan, K M Roy and P C Cyriac had expressed support to the anti-hartal movement.