30,000 CPI(M) volunteers arrested

Chennai, May 15 (UNI) About 30,000 volunteers of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) were arrested, when they launched a state-wide picketing against the price rise of essential commodities.

State unit Secretary N Varadarajan, party MPs P Mohan, A V Bellarmin, T K Rangarajan and MLAs and office bearers were among those arrested, while picketing the Central government offices in the state.

The agitators demanded that the Centre check the rise in prices of essential commodities by imposing a ban on online and speculative trade and make available all essential commodities in fair price shops.

A party release here claimed that more than 50,000 party volunteers, who had organised the picketing agitation in more than 300 centres in the state, were arrested.

It said despite the price line index reaching the unprecedented level of 7.33 per cent, the Congress led UPA government failed to take any action and remained unperturbed.

All those arrested, were released in the evening, after they were kept in marriage halls for a brief time, police said.

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