CPI to intensify land struggle, ball in Sonia's court

Hyderabad, Aug 7 (UNI) A day after Left leaders A B Bardhan and Prakash Karat called on UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi for her intervention, the CPI in Andhra Pradesh today announced it was intensifying its stir from August 22 to press for land to the poor.

Senior Congress Leader V Hanumantha Rao called on CPI State Secretary K Narayana and urged him to call off the stir and hold talks with the state government to amicably resolve the issue.

Mr Narayana told reporters that Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy had ''misled'' Ms Gandhi on their demands, including constitution of an independent land commission and patta for government lands occupied by activists.

''The ball is now in Ms Gandhi's court,'' he said, maintaining that the constitution of Land Commission with statutory powers was the only way out.

''The state should come out with concrete proposals on the demands for any meaningful talks,'' Mr Narayana said.

Denying that the Communists were occupying private lands, he said the party activists were planting red flags only on lands assigned to Dalits but encroached upon by ''influential people.'' The ruling Congress was responsible for the present situation, he claimed while asserting the Left would continue its stir taking inspiration from the Mudigonda police firing.

''We will not be cowed down by the state government's efforts to suppress the agitation,'' the Communist Leader added.

Referring to Dr Reddy's earlier promise to close down a salt pan in Chinnaganjam Village in Prakasam District while he was in the Opposition, after two persons were killed in police firing, the CPI leader opined there seemed to be no difference between the present Chief Minister and his predecessor N Chandrababu Naidu.

He threatened to go on one day fast on August 22 in Prakasam District if it was not closed down by then.

UNI