Hours before the arrival of United States President George W Bush, thousands of people held protests on Wednesday in Delhi and Kolkata.

Carrying placards that read 'Bush, go home', the protestors assembled at Delhi's Ram Lila grounds to attack US 'imperialist policies against Iraq and its bullying of Iran over the nuclear issue'.

Addressing the gathering, Communist Party of India general secertary A B Bardhan charged the US President with 'inciting a war of civilisations' by bullying Iran over its nuclear programme and termed him an 'imperialist aggressor'.

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"We cannot welcome him in India," he said, addressing the rally jointly organised by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind and other Muslim organisations to protest the Bush visit and publication of cartoons of Prophet Mohammad in a Danish newspaper.

He said Left parties will take out demonstrations across the country, barring Hyderabad, on Thursday to register their
protest against his visit. In Hyderbad, the protest proceedings would be on Friday, coinciding with Bush's visit to the city.

In all, 54 protest sit-ins by Left parties and Muslim organizations are lined up across Delhi on Thursday.

In Kolkata, around 15,000 students owing allegiance to 12 Leftist student and youth organisations demonstrated before the American Centre, protesting Bush's visit.

Complete coverage: Bush in India