Hyderabad: Over 400 members of Opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh, including some of its leaders, were taken into custody when they tried to stage a "satyagraha" near the Secretariat in support of the indefinite strike by Singareni Collieries workers that entered the 13th day on February 3.

Meanwhile, talks with union leaders remained inconclusive on February 2.

The workers and leaders of Congress, Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPM), TRS and MIM went in a procession from Liberty Crossroads to Secretariat to participate in the "satyagraha" and express solidarity with the agitating miners, who went on strike to protest the "privatisation move of the state government".

When the processionists reached the Secretariat, the police bodily lifted its leaders into the police vehicles.

Those arrested include Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president M Satyanaraya Rao, Congress Floor leader in Assembly Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, CPI state unit secretary S Sudhakar Reddy, CPM state unit secretary B V Raghavulu and Congress MP Renuka Chowdhary.

PTI