"India is the largest consumer of Israeli arms today. So it is the responsibility of our government to stop buying arms from a nation which is devastating both Lebanon and Palestine," party General Secretary Prakash Karat said in New Delhi. Indian government should immediately sever all military ties with Israel, he said addressing a protest rally organised by the 'Committee Against Israeli  Aggression'.

Strongly condemning the Israeli attacks, he said the campaign was a continuation of the Jewish state's "war and genocide against the Palestinian people" and it has the full backing of the US and other imperialists.

Addressing the gathering, Communist Party of India National  Secretary D Raja said the "Israeli aggression" cannot be justified and demanded that the government take a forthright stand on the  issue. CPI (M) had on Wednesday asked the government to move international bodies, including the United Nations, and other non-aligned nations to mount pressure on Israel to stop the attacks.

Scores of Left activists, intellectuals, artists and prominent personalities  participated in the rally, which was stopped near India Gate from proceeding towards the Israeli Embassy.