Normal life in the district was affected by the State-wide dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the Popular Front of India (PFI) on Friday against raids on its offices and the arrest of its leaders.
PFI workers threw stones at a KSRTC bus heading to Kozhikode from Mananthavady at Panamaram and two private vehicles at Peechamkode in the district. The window panes of the vehicles were damaged. As many as 40 PFI activists were arrested, including 19 who were kept under preventive detention, in connection with the incidents, Wayanad District Police Chief R. Anand said.
Private buses and taxi services stayed off the road. The KSRTC operated 30 schedules from Sulthan Bathery, 15 from Kalpetta, and eight from Mananthaady depots in the morning. All schedules were operated with police convoy.
Shops and business establishments remained opened in several parts of the district. Attendance was low in government offices.
Only 50 out of 175 employees turned up for duty at the collectorate here, District Collector A. Geetha said.
