Coimbatore : Over 150 workers of CPI and CPIM Friday staged a demonstration in the city, to condemn the pulling down of the mast and party flags at three places reportedly by VHP activists, as a repurcussion on the entry of two women at sanctum sanctoram of hill Shrine Sabarimala.

CPI State treasurer M Arumugham and party district secretary, V S SUndaram, CPIM State Council member, C Padmanabhan and district secretary, Ramamurthy led the agitation, in which a few women also participated.

They raised slogans against various Hindu oufits, including BJP and VHP for the “cowardice act”, which they claimed led to law and order problem.

As a sequel to the hartal organised by BJP in Kerala yesterday over Sabarimala issue, a few persons pulled down the flags and masts of both the parties in Singanallur area, resulting in tense situation last evening.

A few CPIM members who reached the spot had held three persons and handed them over to police last night and further investigations on, police said.