Several Left party leaders, including CPI(M) district secretary D. Govinda Rao and CPI district secretary Chapara Venkata Ramana, were arrested on Saturday while protesting against the proposed cargo airport. A heated argument and a subsequent tussle broke out between the leaders and police personnel after the former were denied permission to visit villages likely to be affected by the project. Mr. Govinda Rao and Mr. Venkata Ramana were taken into custody at Haripuram village in Mandasa mandal.

CPI(ML)-New Democracy vice president Vankala Madhava Rao was also arrested for raising slogans against the government. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Govinda Rao alleged that Union Minister for Civil Aviation K. Rammohan Naidu was creating unrest among the public by proposing a cargo airport at Mulapeta seaport. He asserted that Left parties would continue to oppose the forcible acquisition of land for the project. Leaders Komara Vasu, Apparao, N. Ganapathi, T. Ajay Kumar, and K. Srinivas were among those present.