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Cong, left parties call off fast, AP bandh tomorrow: PTI

The Congress and left parties' MLAs in Andhra Pradesh Monday ended their 11-day-old indefinite fast, undertaken to demand a rollback of the power tariff hike, and called for a statewide bandh Tuesday to protest police 'high-handedness' in dealing with opposition activists during their 'Chalo Assembly' agitation during the day.

The Congress and left parties have demanded a judicial inquiry into the police firing and lathi-charge on their activists which resulted in the death of two persons and injuries to over 60 others.

Announcing withdrawal of the fast, opposition leaders described the 'Chalo Assembly' programme as a 'success' and condemned the police firing and lathi-charge.

'The bandh will not be observed in the flood-affected areas,' they said.

Communist Party of India-Marxist state secretary B V Raghavulu and Communist Party of India leader P Nageshwara Rao said they were withdrawing the fast in view of the success of the 'Chalo Assembly' agitation and the bandh was to protest the adamant attitude of the state government.

State Congress president M Satyanarayana Rao said his party would give Rs 100,000 as ex gratia payment to the kin of those killed in the police firing and demanded payment of Rs 500,000 ex gratia by the government.

Seventy-eight Congress MLAs, two from CPI-M and the lone CPI-ML MLA had undertaken the fast. Eighteen MLAs were hospitalised over the past few days as their condition deteriorated while ten others ended their fast to rush to their districts, which were ravaged by floods following heavy rains.

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