Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

CPI(M) activists arrested

Special Correspondent

They are demanding radical land reform measures

DEMONSTRATION: Protesting CPI (M) workers courting arrest near Memorial Hall in Chennai on Tuesday. — Photo: R. Ragu

CHENNAI: A large number of activists belonging to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) including State unit secretary N. Varadarajan and legislators of the party, courted arrest on Tuesday by staging a State-wide picketing. They were demanding among other things radical land reform measures, streamlining of the public distribution system and implementation of the employment guarantee scheme in all the districts.

Mr. Varadarajan led the CPI(M) activists in the picketing near the Memorial Hall in Park Town. The activists raised slogans urging the Government to take over surplus lands and redistribute them to landless farmers. They objected to the State Government's plan to hand over vast stretches of land to corporate houses on the ground of wasteland development.

The CPI(M) also demanded the lifting of the ban on recruitments, besides filling all the existing vacancies in the State and Central Government offices.

The party urged the United Progressive Alliance Government to immediately implement all the pro-people schemes in the Common Minimum Programme.

It opposed the Centre's decision to hike the price of petroleum products without exploring the possibility of evolving alternatives.

The picketing was held at 435 places in the State, a party spokesman said. According to police, around 3,300 persons courted arrest at five places — Memorial Hall, Tiruvottiyur, Saidapet, Avadi and Red Hills in and around Chennai.

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