TD, Left call for bandh to protest police firing on fishermen

Visakhapatnam, Mar 27 (UNI) Opposition Telugu Desam (TD), Left parties and mass organisations called for bandh tomorrow to protest against police firing on fishermen at Gangavaram near here today.

While TD called for suburban Gajuwaka town bandh, exempting educational institutions, the Left parties called for a bandh in the entire district.

District Education officer P Surendra requested the SSC students to make their own transport arrangement to reach the examination centers as the city bus services could be affected.

The CPI(M) city unit organised a Rasta Roko agitation on National Highway near Maddilapalem condemning the police action, while IFTU and other mass organisations organised a human chain halting traffic at RTC complex in the evening.

TD city unit president Zaheer Ahmed said the violence took place due to inefficiency of the State government in handling the sensitive issue of relief and rehabilitation of the affected and the officials behaved in haste. He demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.

Revolutionary Writers Association (VIRASAM) Secretary K Krishnabai said in the name of development, the government was taking away livelihood of the poor fishermen. ''It was primary responsibility of the government to provide proper rehabilitation before taking up the port work,'' she said.

Stree Shakti, Progressive Organisation for Women and several trade unions condemned the incident and demanded a judicial probe and immediate halt to the port works.

UNI RS SC LR BD2142