Demanding a judicial inquiry in addition to compensation for their kin into the killing of 20 people by Andhra Pradesh police during an operation against the sandalwood smugglers CPM has alleged that ordinary workers have become the target of police brutality.

Also, raising questions over the five under trial prisoners’ encounter in Telangana who allegedly had links with SIMI, CPM said that it was a premeditated action by the Telangana police to avenge the killing of two personnel.

Claiming that those who were killed in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh were labourers hired for cutting down sandalwood trees by those who were part of the illegal trade, CPI (M) condemned the police action in AP. The Polit Bureau of CPI (M) demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident and compensation to be provided to the families of those killed.

CPI criticized the Telangana shooting over the "staged encounter" and said that it seemed to be an act of revenge for the deaths of two policemen who lost their lives in an earlier encounter involving SIMI activist.