Four injured in scuffle with cops

Eluru: Tension prevailed here on Thursday when the CPI workers made a bid to besiege the Collectorate. Scuffle ensued between the CPI workers and police when the agitators tried to break the barricade arranged at the Collectorate.

The CPI has given call to picket the Collectorate to exert pressure on the state government to sanction houses and house sites to the landless and houseless poor in the state. in response to the call given by the CPI, the workers reached the Collectorate and staged a dharna in the morning.

Around noon, CPI State Secretary K Ramakrishna, State Party Control Commission Chairman Nekkanti Subba Rao, District Secretary Dega Prabhakar Rao, Joint Secretaries Bandi Venkateswara Rao, Konala Bhima Rao and 15 other leaders tried to push the barricades arranged at the Collectorate.

Following this, the police tried to stop the agitating leaders and workers. However, the workers broke the barricade and tried to go towards the Collectorate. In turn, However, police disbursed the women and other workers from the road and taken the leaders to Three Town police station.

During the scuffle, CPI State Secretary K Ramakrishna and four others received minor injuries at the fencing. The workers followed the police vehicles demanding them to release their leaders. Later, they went to Three Town Police Station and staged a dharna for some time and at 3 pm police released the leaders.

Earlier, addressing the picketing programme, CPI State Secretary K Ramakrishna said that the CPI will fight for the cause of the poor in the state. He demanded that the TDP government sanction house sites and construct houses to the poor. He said that the TDP has failed to implement the manifesto assurances to the poor. During last four years, the government has not even constructed one lakh houses to the poor.