Karat gives fortnight ultimatum to Andhra govt

Agartala, Aug 6: CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat has asked Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy to punish those responsible for the police firing in Khammam district within the next two weeks.

Addressing a public rally here yesterday, Mr Karat said senior leaders of his party besides, CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan, would meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi today in New Delhi to apprise her of the Leftists' stand on the Khammam firing.

He issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Andhra Congress government to take action against the policemen, who allegedly shot eight farmers on July 28, or resign. He also said they would ask Mrs Gandhi to pressurise the Reddy government to punish the guilty policemen.

''Besides paying adequate compensation to the victims' families, the Andhra government should distribute surplus land to the landless farmers as soon as possible. Otherwise, the government will be forced to resign,'' Mr Karat said adding that the Reddy government had assured distribution of surplus land to the landless poor.

However, only about 4,50,000 acres of land had been distributed to 3,00,000 people so far, he alleged.

He also announced that the struggle for land reforms in India had not ended with the incident in Andhra Pradesh, as the movement for development of farming communities would spread to other parts of the country.

He claimed that even after 60 years of independence, very little had been done for the backward classes, except in the three Left-ruled states - Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura.

Almost 195 Left-backed organisations had been conducting the movement for house sites and land for the poor since May two this year and it would be continued until fulfillment of the demand, Mr Karat added.

Speaking on the Indo-US civil nuclear cooperation deal, Mr Karat stated that they would make their views on the deal public only after discussing it in tomorrow's meeting.

UNI