PRESSING ISSUE: CPI (M) leader Ch. Babu Rao addresses a round table in the city on Tuesday. Photo: Raju V.

VIJAYAWADA: Attempts to thwart the `Bhooporatam' (land occupation movement) taken up by the Left parties will only aggravate the problem for the Government, said speakers at a round table meet organised by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on `Government suppression of the land occupation movement' on Tuesday. They demanded that the Government unconditionally withdraw the cases booked against the activists who had taken part in the struggle.

Deploring the likening of the activists of land occupation movement to naxalites, Vijayawada West MLA Sk. Nasar Vali said that the activists were informing the authorities well in advance of the land occupation programme.

CPI (M) State committee member Ch. Babu Rao wondered why the Government was not so harsh with those who had encroached upon huge tracks of Government land and those who were in possession of assigned lands. He demanded that the Government issue a white paper on how much of land was available for distribution and the number of eligible families to which it could be distributed.

`A mistake'

Communist Party of India (CPI) city secretary Palla Surya Rao said the State Government was making a mistake if it was under the impression that it could thwart this movement by using force.

Telugu Desam Party city general secretary Nagul Meera condemned the police action against occupiers of Government lands and said that it was unbecoming of the police to send activists who were arrested to Rajahmundry central jail. Mr. Meera suggested that leaders of all parties meet the City Police Commissioner to lodge a complaint against the arrests.

Freedom Fighters' Association leader Satyanarayana Reddy, Vijayawada Tax Payers' Association president V. Sambi Reddy, Retired Government Employees' Association president Gandhi and People for India leader M.N. Patrudu expressed their solidarity with the activists of land occupation movement and demanded that those who were in police custody be released immediately.

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