Communist Party of India-Marxist, Communist Party of India and two other Marxist-Leninist groups organized the demonstration at the RTC Crossroads in the city against the adverse impact of the US policies on Indian agriculture.
Prominent human rights activist and lawyer K G Kannabiran inaugurated the signature campaign. "It is the duty of every democrat and peace-loving citizen to oppose the visit by the imperialist war-monger US President George Bush," he said.
Scores of people signed on the banner with the slogan "Imperialist Bush Go Back." CPI-M state secretary B V Raghavulu, CPI state secretary Dr K Narayana, trade union leaders, members of frontal organisations and intellectuals participated in the signature campaign.
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Raghavulu and Narayana lambasted the Indian government for inviting Bush to visit the country at this juncture. Condemning the US attack on Afghanistan and Iraq, they said that the US policy of unilateral actions and attacks on the sovereign countries posed grave threat to the world peace.
"The UPA government is buckling under US pressure on the issue of nuclear program," they said and asserted that the Left parties would not allow any deviation from the traditional Indian foreign policy.
Muslim organisations, too, continued their campaign to mobilize support for a rally on the day of Bush visit. The Joint Action Committee of Muslim organisations announced that they were coordinating with all the like-minded groups and the Left parties to create awareness among the people on the disastrous implications and consequences of US hegemonic policies.
Maulana Abdul Basith Anwar, convenor of the Joint Action Committee and state chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, said that the JAC was working together with the "Anti-Bush Visit Forum" started by the Leftist groups.
"After the rally we will submit a memorandum to the state governor," he explained.
The protest program will continue over the next four days. Demonstrations and rallies will be organized in the state on March 1 and 2 and in the state capital on Friday - March 3 - the day of Bush's visit. Maulana Taqi Raza Abdi, an eminent religious leader of the Shia sect of Muslims, said that the Shias would join the protest demonstrations against Bush.
"We are angry with the US for what it has done in Iraq including, the attack in Samarra. We are also angry with the US for holding out threats to Iran on the nuclear issue," he added.
The JAC includes Jamaat-e-Islami, Majlis-e-Tameer-e-Millat, Indian National League, Milli Council and Shia and Mahdavi organizations. The JAC cautioned that United States was enslaving the entire world by imposing its imperialistic designs and policies and through cultural invasion.
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