Sinhala organisations has also joined the Hartal in Trincomalee

All major towns observed Hartal protesting the murder of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP, Nadarajah Raviraj.

Jaffna has been shut down as the city mourned the former Mayor who was shot in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, on Friday.

General shut down

In Vavuniya and Mannar, no transport facilities were available apart from the train services and shops, schools and government offices were closed.

Hartal has been observed in the area since Saturday and Anti-War Front staged a protest rally on Monday in Colombo to protest the killing.

In Trincomalee, Tamil and Sinhala porters observed the Hartal.

The Sinhala Organisation for North and East, which has condemned earlier Hartals by Tamil organisations, described the Wednesday’s protest as a “people’s duty”.

"Duty" to Raviraj

Organisation’s National Organiser Anura Bandara told journalist RG Dharmadasa that the late MP Raviraj served every nation in the region irrespective of the race or religion.

Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim communities share almost equal representations in Trincomalee.

The TNA accused the government of having linked to the killing.

Denying any involvement, the government said it would invite Scotland Yard experts to probe the murder.