Tension after attack on CPI-M library

The leaders and activists of left parties took to the streets, demanding action against those involved in Monday night's attack on the CPI-M auditorium-cum-library.

Tension prevailed in parts of Hyderabad on Tuesday as the leaders and activists of left parties took to the streets demanding action against those involved in Monday night's attack on the Communist Party of India-Marxist's (CPI-M) auditorium-cum-library.

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The police on Tuesday arrested top state leaders of the CPI-M and the Communist Party of India (CPI) and dozens of activists of the two parties when they were marching towards the state assembly building to voice their protest over the attack.

A tense situation prevailed in Hyderabad as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also made plans to take out a rally to protest what it calls attempts by the CPI-M to defame it.

The issue also rocked the state assembly with the left parties demanding action against the culprits.

A group of unidentified persons last night attacked Sundarayya Vignana Kendram, the auditorium-cum-library run by the CPI-M at the Baghlingampally area.

About eight people carrying petrol in three bottles barged into the office and sprinkled petrol on the portrait of Communist leader P. Sundarayya and on bookshelves. The intruders also broke the glass entrance door with flowerpots as the security staff tried to stop them. The attackers then fled on two-wheelers.

As the news of the attack spread, a large number of CPI-M workers rushed to the Kendram and tried to barge into Sundaraiah Kala Nilayam, a mini auditorium where BJP legislator G Kishan Reddy was attending a school function.

The police intervened to protect Kishan Reddy but clashes broke out when activists of BJP rushed there. Some students of Saraswathi Sishu Mandir school were injured in the commotion. Cadres of the Left party beat up a BJP leader.

Police took Kishan Reddy and other activists into preventive custody when they squatted on the roads in front of the Kendram, demanding action against the Left party leaders for attacking them.

Kishan Reddy alleged that CPI-M stage-managed the attack to defame his party and demanded a thorough probe into the incident.

The CPI-M has called for a statewide protest against the attack.

The party leaders along with those from CPI took out a rally from the Kendram to the assembly. Legislators of the two parties also participated in the rally. Holding portraits of Sundarayya and shouting slogans against the BJP, they tried to march towards the assembly building.

The police arrested CPI-M state secretary BV Raghavulu and CPI state secretary Narayana along with dozens of other activists when they tried to barge into the assembly. In the scuffle, Raghavulu sustained a minor injury on his hand.

"We want the government to immediately arrest those involved in the attack," he said.

In the assembly, the Left parties stalled the proceedings over the issue. The government assured that it would make a statement on the incident later in the day.

Meanwhile, the BJP is also gearing up to take out a rally to the assembly to protest the CPI-M attempt to allegedly defame it.