AP Firing: Yechury demand's YSR's removal

Madurai, July 28 (UNI) Condemning the police firing in Andhra Pradesh, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury today demanded the ouster of Chief Minister Y S Rajashekhara Reddy, saying ''his continuation in office has become untenable.'' Strongly reacting to the police firing, the Marxist leader, who was rushing to Khammam, told mediapersons here tonight that ''a government, so callous and insensitive cannot be allowed to continue.'' ''The popular sentiment is that this Chief Minister should not continue,'' a visibly anguished Yechury said, while responding to questions, after addressing a programme opposing FDI and domestic corporate houses in the retail trade.

Admitting that it was for the Congress to decide the fate of the Chief Minister, he, however, made it clear that the CPI(M) Polit Bureau would meet shortly to formulate its position. ''We will formulate our position at the earliest,'' he added.

The police action was termed ''brazen anti-people act.'' The people were demanding that the government implement the promises made in the election manifesto and the firing was ''unprovoked and absolutely unacceptable,'' he pointed out.

The government was further accused of taking matters to a flashpoint by arresting the leaders and party workers who were on an indefinite hunger strike.

His reasoning was that in such a situation the continuation of the government had become untenable and popular sentiment was also against the continuation of the Chief Minister.

UNI