Members of the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) protested against the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation's (GVMC) proposal to impose annual user charges on walkers at public facilities, including the Indira Priyadarshini Municipal Stadium and Swarna Bharathi Indoor Stadium. Activists described the proposal as a 'tax on walking' and called for its immediate withdrawal, arguing that it places an unnecessary financial burden on citizens for accessing basic amenities. CPI(M) leader RKSV Kumar criticized the GVMC, claiming that the initiative is part of a broader effort to privatize public spaces, such as parks and community halls, through the public-private partnership (PPP) model. The Maddilapalem Zonal Committee of CPI(M) organized a demonstration to voice their opposition to this proposal.