Thiruvananthapuram:
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said that tough action will be taken against those who indulged in violence during the hartal called by the CPI-M today to protest the arrest of its leader P Jayararajan in a murder case.
"Cases will be taken up in connection with each and every incident and they will be followed up legally," he said, referring to widespread violence reported from different parts of the state.
Incidents of attack on police personnel involved in investigations of political murders would be taken seriously, he told reporters.
"If the existing laws are found inadequate to effectively deal with such incidents, stronger legislation would be brought in," he said.
"In a democracy, everyone has a right to voice dissent and protest. But this would not mean that one can infringe on the freedom of fellow citizens and trample upon their rights," he said.