Left parties’ bandh tomorrow

VIOLENCE ALL OVER: A policeman beats up Left party activists during a protest in Hyderabad on Thursday.

HYDERABAD: The Left parties have called for Statewide bandh on July 28 in protest against the “indiscriminate” police lathicharge on their leaders and activists who laid siege to district collectorates across the State on Thursday.

Violence marked the programme of the CPI (M) and CPI to lay siege to the Collector’s offices as police resorted to lathicharge in nearly one dozen district headquarters, including Hyderabad to prevent activists from barging inside. The protests were organised as part of their ongoing agitation for land distribution to the poor. Several party activists sustained bleeding injuries and hundreds were arrested in different districts. Women who gathered in large numbers bore the brunt of the lathicharge and many fainted or sustained minor injuries in the caning. Seven police personnel who tried to stop the activists from gatecrashing into the Warangal Collectorate sustained minor injuries. Cases under section 307 were registered against 12 activists. Police resorted to lathicharge in Kadapa, Visakhapatnam, Anantapur, Mahabubnagar and Srikakulam.

Water cannons

In the State capital, police fired teargas shells and deployed water cannons to prevent Left party workers from storming the Hyderabad Collectorate.

They fought a pitched battle with party activists who tried to sneak into the Collectorate from the Mozamjahi Road. Mounted police were at t e receiving end of stone pelting when they tried to chase away the demonstrators.

Fifth day

Condemning the lathicharge, CPI (M) secretary B. V. Raghavulu and CPI secretary K. Narayana announced their decision to continue their indefinite fast that entered the fifth day on Thursday.

After a meeting of leaders of the two parties, they rejected Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s appeal to call off their fast as his response to their demands was far from satisfactory.