Hyderabad:
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has condemned the arrest of senior Left leaders who were on an indefinite hunger strike here in protest against the proposed hike in electricity tariff and electricity cuts in the Andhra Pradesh.
"Such brutal attacks on popular protests against the burdens being imposed on the people will not be tolerated," said a statement issued by the CPI(M) after police today forcibly shifted the Left leaders to hospitals.
Andhra Pradesh CPI state secretary K Narayana, his CPI(M) counterpart BV Raghavulu and other Left leaders began the indefinite fast demanding that the move to hike power tariff be rolled back immediately, besides stopping the collection of fuel surcharge adjustment.
The Left parties have also been holding protests in other parts of the Andhra Pradesh in support of the demands.
Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), YSR Congress, Lok Satta and others had extended their solidarity to the fast launched by the Left.