Both CPI and CPM condemned the arrest of their leaders in Vizianagaram by the police ahead of the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's visit there.
Police arrested the left leaders as a preventive measure as they were going to stage a protest.
CPI state secretary K Rama Krishna said in a press release that the left parties never opposed welfare schemes but questioned the loopholes in their implementation.
The Chief Minister should ask the police to desist from taking action against the opposition leaders who are planning to stage protests in a peaceful and democratic way, he said.
CPM state secretary P Madhu also objected to the arrests and said the police should not take such an action against leaders of the left parties which always fight for people's issues.
