Left parties protest against US-Israel attack on Iran, accuse govt of staying silent

New Delhi (PTI): Left parties on Tuesday held a protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar against the US-Israel attack on Iran and the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic, accusing the Union government of maintaining silence on the issue.

Scores of protesters gathered here, holding placards and raising slogans against the attack. They urged people to "stand against the attack" and express solidarity with the Iranian people.

"The silence of the government of India over (US President Donald) Trump's imperialist hooliganism, the attack on Iran... Why is Narendra Modi quiet?" CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat said.

"He held Netanyahu's bloodied hands and said it is the voice of the people of India... How is this the voice of the people? You went to Israel to help a genocide," she said.

Karat said the attack on Iran came within 24 hours of Prime Minister Modi's return from Israel.

"Did you go there to give a stamp of approval?" she asked, further questioning if the Israeli prime minister wants to "completely decimate Gaza".

"We are raising our voices against the bullying of the US and Zionist Israel, our demand is that Narendra Modi is the prime minister of India... There are certain principles of India's foreign policy," she said, adding that Modi should look at foreign relations from the perspective of national sovereignty.

"What about national sovereignty -- you have bowed to Trump, and (are) silent over the issue. This is pro-imperialist foreign policy," she said.

Meanwhile, organisers said in a statement that the protest would bring together concerned citizens, activists and members of civil society to voice opposition to the military escalation and to demand respect for national sovereignty.

At the protest, CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya asserted that the people of India do not want this war.

"The war on Iran has been going on for the last four days. Talks were on, but the US and Israel attacked Iran. We saw the 12-day war last year, and now it is clear, it is moving in the direction of being a regional war," he said.

"We demand that the government of India take steps to stop the war and restore peace... Modi ji was in Israel; the war started after he returned. It is our responsibility to ensure India has no role in this war," Bhattacharya said.

"People of India do not want that. We saw that the supreme leader in Iran was killed. He was not only Iran's supreme leader; he was also the biggest religious leader of Shia (Muslims). A primary school was bombed; the US and Israel killed innocent children," he added.

"This will impact India as well because many Indians work in West Asian countries. Iran is an ancient civilisation with friendly and cultural relations. This has happened with Palestine, and now with Iran. It is clear Iran is ready to fight back," he said, adding that the people of India stand with Iran.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation [CPI(ML) Liberation], Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), and the All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) were among the parties that participated in the protest.

The US and Israel launched a major attack on Iran on Saturday, with Trump calling on the Iranian public to "seize control of their destiny" and rise up against the Islamic leadership that has ruled their country since 1979.

Khamenei, 86, was killed in an air strike targeting his compound in downtown Tehran.