A military coup was launched by the Communist Party hardliners against which of the following leader?

Mikhail Gorbachev

In 1991 August, The Communist Party hardliners staged an abortive coup against Mikhail Gorbachev.

Gorbachev initiated the policies of economic and political reform and democratisation within the country. The reforms were opposed by leaders within the Communist Party. A coup took place in 1991 that was encouraged by Communist Party hardliners. The people had tasted freedom by then and did not want the old-style rule of the Communist Party. Boris Yeltsin emerged as a national hero in opposing this coup. The Russian Republic, where Yeltsin won a popular election, began to shake off centralised control.