Ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist and opposition Congress in Kerala called a state-wide hartal on Saturday afternoon to condemn the execution of ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

Leaders of prominent parties have dubbed the execution as a 'heinous act carried out to serve American interests'.

Stating that 'American imperialism has raised a grim challenge to world peace once again through the execution of Saddam Hussein', Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan said the Iraqi leader would be remembered forever as a martyr who heroically fought imperialist interests.

"It is deplorable that the heinous act was carried out when the Muslims worldwide were preparing for Bakr Id," Achuthanandan told reporters.

Through its act, America had once again demonstrated that it cared little for the world peace and the sentiments of the majority of the humanity, he said.

KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala said America would have to face severe consequences for totally ingnoring the rest of the world's sentiments.

CPI-M state committee urged the people to join the hartal from 3 pm on Saturday afternoon. The Congress called for a peaceful hartal from 3 to 6 pm.

The Sabarimala and Sivagiri pilgrims have been exempted from the hartal.