CPI condemns police firing on fishermen

Hyderabad, Mar 27 (UNI) The CPI State Secretariat today condemned the police firing on agitating fishermen at Gangavaram Port of Visakhapatnam district.

While the government was saying that only one person died in the firing, the CPI in its press note alleged that a pregnant lady also lost her life in the incident.

CPI State Secretariat Member T Lakshminarayana said instead of accepting the genuine demands of the fishermen who were being displaced by the port project, the government had made a mockery of democracy by "making police open fire on the agitationists." Demanding a judicial probe into the incident and payment of ex-gratia of Rs five lakh to the next of kin of the deceased, Mr Narayana wanted stringent punishment for the officials responsible for the incident.

He also wanted the port work to be kept pending till a decent relief and rehabilitation package was worked out to the satisfaction of the displaced.

UNI JRK GM 1743