CPM says India should suspend arms imports from Israel

New Delhi, July 31 (UNI) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) today demanded immediate suspension of arms imports from Israel and a leading role for India in seeking ceasefire in the crisis-torn West Asia.

The CPI (M) said it would also put pressure on the government to name the United States, which it criticises for holding Israel back from announcing an end to its attack on Lebanon, in a resolution to be adopted by the Lok Sabha today.

''India being the leader of the Non-Aligned Movement should take the initiative in asking Israel to announce an immediate ceasefire,'' said Mr Basudeb Acharia, CPI (M) leader in the Lok Sabha.

''The government should suspend purchase of arms from Israel,'' Mr Acharia told a news conference at the Parliament House this afternoon.

''The money gained by Israel by selling arms is used to attack a small country like Lebanon,'' said Mr Acharia, who raise the demand for a resolution saying the House cannot remain a ''silent spectator'' to the Israeli attacks in Lebnanon.

The CPI (M) leaders met Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee to convey their demands. Israel is the second largest arms supplier to India.

Describing Saturday night's attack on Qana in Lebanon in which more than 50 people, most of them children, were killed as ''brutal and barbaric'', Mr Acharia said Israel was not listening to the demands for ceasefire raised by the international community.

The party said it would like to see the ''concern of the entire House'' be expressed in the resolution, which is to be formulated in a meeting of leaders of all political parties called by Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee at 1600 hrs today.

The meeting will decide the language of the resolution, which the CPI (M) say should also include the stance of the United States against ceasefire till the threat from Hezbollah against Israel is removed.

''We will definitely raise the US stance in the meeting,'' said party Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury.

According to party leaders, the Lok Sabha Speaker will move the resolution, most probably today, to express the ''sense of Parliament' against the Israeli attack on Qana.

According to Mr Yechury, the two statements made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the Israeli attacks ''do not tantamount to the sense of Parliament''.

The government yesterday strongly condemned the Qana massacre and demanded an unconditional ceasefire.

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