Bank Manager's Office In Kerala Stormed As Bharat Bandh Enters Day 2

Normal life was badly affected in Kerala today as the two-day nationwide trade strike entered its second day. Angry protesters stormed into the cabin of a State Bank of India manager in Thiruvananthapuram and vandalised it.

"At around 10.15 am, angry protesters came into my cabin and asked if I did not know that today is a protest day. I told them that although we are open, banking operations were not taking place. Then they threw the computer and other properties on my table," Santosh Karunakaran, the manager, told the media in Thiruvananthapuram.

This branch is located near Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's office and also the temporary union office of the protesters.

The bank has lodged an official complaint and the police have launched a probe.

Barring the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-backed BMS trade union, all other unions supported the strike where the protesters have raised several demands including a raise in minimum wages to Rs 18,000.

State-owned private buses and contract vehicles remained off roads but pilgrims to the Sabarimala shrine were allowed to proceed from all places on a limited scale.

More private vehicles were seen plying across the state, but autorickshaws remained few in numbers.

While banks were shut, attendances in state and central government offices marginally improved since Tuesday.

All university examinations slated for today have been postponed and educational institutions were closed. More shops and establishments, however, opened their shutters today compared to Tuesday.

Even though the tourism industry had sought exemption from shutdowns, popular tourist destination like Alappuzha and Wayanad were badly affected as travellers were unable to move from one place to another.

There were also reports of rail and road blockades from several parts of the state.