Left leaders on way to protest meeting arrested by police

Police today arrested leaders of Left parties while they were going to participate in a public meeting organised to protest setting up of a facility of Divis Laboratory near here in East Godavari district.
Those arrested include CPI-M State Secretary P Madhu, CPI's Ravula Ankaiah, CPI (ML) Liberation and New Democracy leaders B Bangarraju and N Murty, CPI-M District Secretary Duvva Seshu Babji and his CPI counterpart Thatipaka Madhu.
DSP Vijayabhaskar Reddy said the arrests were made as a preventive measure to maintain law and order in the area where prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 had been promulgated.
He said no permission was granted to hold the meeting in view of the tension prevailing in the area over setting up of Divis Lab unit.

Due to arrests, the scheduled public meeting of the Left parties at Padadipet village, where the Divis Lab facility is to come up, could not take place.
The Left parties have extended support to the agitation launched by local villagers against alleged forcible acquisition of their lands for the facility.