The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly condemns the arrest of its Polit Bureau Member and Andhra Pradesh State Secretary, B.V. Raghavulu and other Left leaders in Hyderabad today.
Ten Left parties in Andhra Pradesh had jointly given a call for protest against the exorbitant hike in the electricity charges in the state. This hike comes in addition to the burdens being imposed on the people through the hike in prices of all essential commodities. The hunger strike protest continued for five days when the Andhra Pradesh legislative Assembly was in session. As soon as the assembly session ended, the Andhra Pradesh government cracked down on the protesting leaders, who are currently in hospital.
Such brutal attacks on popular protests against the burdens being imposed on the people will not be tolerated.