CPI-ML seeks Reddy's resignation over Khammam police firing

New Delhi, July 31 (UNI) Activists of the Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninst-New Democracy) today held a demonstration at the Jantar Mantar here demanding the resignation of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YSR Reddy over the recent police action against protestors in Khammam.

Holding Mr Reddy responsible for the police firing on the people of Mudigonda village of Khammam district, which killed six and injured seven others, the party workers sought the removal of the Chief Minister.

The slogan-shouting activists said the Left parties - the CPI(M) and CPI - which were a part of the two-month-long villagers agitation for land there, should pressurise the UPA government at the Centre, whom they have been supporting, for the removal of the AP Chief Minister.

Holding banners and placards, the protesters said the police firing on unarmed peasantry in Andhra Pradesh formed a part of a series of such incidents of state repression on the people struggling for their basic rights and opposing displacement in other parts of the country too. The people's struggle have been invariably subjected to atrocities whether it is in Kalinganagar, Singrur, Nandigram or Khammam, they added.

Condemning the police firing, party's Delhi unit secretary Dr Aparna lashed out at the Left parties saying, "The entire gamut of parliamentary parties, in their concensus on New Economic Policy, are unleashing brutal repression on People's movement and where they are in power, they make a show of leading struggles to save their own bases or vote-bank''.

She said the Khammam firing was a result of CPI(M) led parties demanding land for the poor in a general manner without even touching upon such crucial issues as land to the tiller or redistribtion of landlords' lands.

Such agitations has a very clear message for the country where ceiling and land reforms acts are safely shut away in books, Dr Aparna added.

"Pesantry should realise that the issue of land can only be solved through new democratic revolution and develop their struggles to that end", she said.

UNI