New Delhi, March 3 Left parties held a protest in 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 remaining silent on the issue.
Numerous 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 Indian government over (US President Donald) Trump's imperialist actions and the attack on Iran... Why is Narendra Modi silent?" CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat said.
"He held Netanyahu's bloodied hands and said it is the voice of the people of India... How can this be 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 approval?" she asked, further questioning if the Israeli prime minister wants to "completely destroy 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 on this issue. This is a pro-imperialist foreign policy," she said.
Meanwhile, organizers said in a statement that the protest would bring together concerned citizens, activists, and members of civil society to voice opposition to the escalation of military action 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 towards a regional war," he said.
"We demand that the Indian government 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 that India has no role in this war," Bhattacharya said.
"The people of India do not want this. We saw that the supreme leader in Iran was killed. He was not only the supreme leader of Iran, but 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 also impact India, as many Indians work in West Asian countries. Iran is an ancient civilization with friendly and cultural relations. This has happened with Palestine, and now with Iran. It is clear that 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 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.