Andhra CPI-M leader attacked, escapes unhurt

By IANS

Hyderabad : Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state secretary B.V. Raghavulu Saturday escaped unhurt in an attack, allegedly by ruling Congress workers, adding a new twist to the Left parties’ land agitation in Andhra Pradesh.


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The CPI-M leader along with his party activists was in Tallempadu in Khammam district, about 250 km from here, to ‘occupy’ government plots and erect makeshift huts as part of their protest when a group of Congress workers armed with sticks reportedly tried to attack him.

CPI-M workers intervened to save Raghavulu. This was followed by a clash between the two sides, injuring three people.

Talking to reporters in Khammam, Raghavulu blamed Congress for the attack.

“This is a pre-planned attack to kill me. I am not saying this was planned locally. The chief minister, the state Congress president and other Congress leaders have been threatening that Congress workers will attack those taking part in the agitation,” he alleged.

It was at Mudigonda in the same district that seven workers of CPI-M were killed July 28 in police firing during the agitation.

The Left parties, demanding distribution of land and house sites among the landless poor, launched the second phase of ‘bhuporatam’ or land agitation Aug 22.

CPI-M and Communist Party of India (CPI) have been agitating over the issue for the last four months. Their workers are occupying government and private plots, triggering clashes with police at several places.

The two communist parties had fought the 2004 assembly elections in alliance with the Congress, but they parted ways with the ruling party in 2005 alleging that the Congress was following anti-people policies.

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