Calling of hartals without notice should be curbed: Human Rights Commission

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Human Rights Commission (KHRC) Monday said calling hartals without enough notice should be curbed through stringent legislation.

The State Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and state police chief must inform the Commission within three weeks the steps that can be taken in this regard, Commission acting chairperson P Mohandas said in a statement here.

Due to the sudden hartal called by BJP on Sunday, several persons in various hospitals and their relatives were put to immense hardship and had to go without food, he said, adding that the commission had received complaints in this regard.

Those who called for the hartal should have given some thought to the difficulties the patients may face, he said. When patients are denied food, the government should not remain a mute spectator, the commission said.

In the complaint filed before the commission, Human Rights activist P K Raju stated that the rule that 500 metres around the hospital area should be exempted from the hartals purview was not followed.