The Andhra Pradesh government has withdrawn 715 cases booked against thousands of persons who had participated in the anti-power tariff hike agitation in 2000.

Prominent political leaders against whom the cases were withdrawn include MIM leader and present Hyderabad parliamentarian Asaduddin Owaisi, Congress leaders Jakkampudi Ramamohana Rao and Ms Sabita Indra Reddy, Congress legislator Jupali Krishna Rao and Communist Party of India floor leader Chada Venkat Reddy.

"The government has considered the hardship faced by the people due to hike in electricity charges and their demand for withdrawal of prosecution in such criminal cases wherein they have no criminal intention in participating in the agitation.

In order to maintain public order and peace in the state and in public interest, the government sympathetically decided to consider the genuine demands of the people to withdraw the prosecution against them," a government order said.

During the long-drawn agitation against power tariff hike in 2000, as many as 23,886 persons were arrested and 449 cases registered under Section 151 of the Criminal Procedural Code and another 1,528 persons were taken into custody in connection with 104 cases under specific sections.