All-party meet against shut downs

In a bid to create consensus among political parties on banning shut down calls, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has convened an all-party meeting.

Flash hartals called by political parties had frequently brought the state to a standstill.

Representatives of all major political parties are invited to the all-party meeting to be held in Thiruvananthapuram on March 14.

The fresh initiative came in the backdrop of a recent order by the Kerala High Court banning flash shutdown calls.

The high court also held Kerala Youth Congress leaders liable for damages caused in a flash shut down call last week.

The chief minister had said in the state Assembly recently that the government would try to evolve a consensus among political parties on banning total shut down calls.

A section of traders recently decided not to shut shops during shut down calls by political parties.