Agitating Communist leaders, workers held

Vijayawada: The protests staged by Left party activists against the civic body imposing water charges on people turned violent with the arrest of agitating workers on Wednesday. The CPI and the CPM activists and leaders staged protests in-front of the Municipal Corporation office and raised slogans demanding withdrawal of water charges. Tension prevailed when police arrested the agitating party workers. The activists opposed the arrest of their leaders raised slogans against police. Some of the activists received minor injuries when they tried to resist the attempt of the police to arrest their leaders. The arrested activists and leaders were removed to Patamata and Machavaram police stations. Speaking on the occasion, the CPI and the CPM city secretaries Donepudi Shankar and Ch Babu Rao respectively said that the government can not stop the agitations through police repression. They wondered how the Commissioner had announced imposition of water charges the very next day of the promise given by ministers KP Saradhi and Thota Narasimham against any such move. They condemned the reckless attitude of both the ministers and the officials in honouring the commitment to the people on such an important issue. The CPI and the CPM city secretaries questioned the officials' a decision on water charges in the absence of people's representation in the Council. They said that the special officer has no right to increase the water charges. They accused the officials of violating all Constitutional norms and threatened to intensify the agitation till the charges are withdrawn. CPI leaders V Nageswara Rao, Navaneetam Sambasiva Rao, G Koteswara Rao, Lanka Durga Rao, Ramana Babu, Ede Prasad, Lanka Govinda Rajulu, CPM leaders D Kasinath, Madaala Venkateswara Rao, former corporators I Appala Naidu and Lakshmi were also present.