Human rights activists, representatives of Left parties and several people's organisations held a People's Court on Sunday, demanding that United States President George W Bush's visit to India be 'banned' to protect the sovereignty of the country.
'Forum Against the Visit of War Monger George Bush' organised the Praja Court to elicit the views of social activists and leaders of people's organisations against President Bush's visit to the city on March 3.
Several human rights activists filed petitions before the jury of the 'Praja Court'.
After hearing the arguments, the jury comprising B S A Swamy, retired judge of the Andhra Pradesh high court, Prof Harigopal and Prof Rama Melkote, both human rights activists, pronounced their 'verdict' upholding eight charges against the President.
As many as 13 people deposed before the jury, leveling charges against the US President, ranging from war mongering and mass killings to violation of all international charters and aggression against sovereign countries.
"It is a fit case to be tried in the International Court of Justice," the jury said.
The jury held George Bush guilty of 'perpetrating terrorism in the name of fighting terrorism and attacking and threatening other countries using the issue of nuclear weapons as a pretext' and 'resorting to human rights violations and large-scale killings of people, including women and children, especially in Afghanistan and Iraq and creating a sense of insecurity in the world'.
This is the first time that such a public hearing is held in the country against any visiting head of state.
Meanwhile, the Left parties have decided to launch a statewide agitation against Bush visit.
Besides jointly organising seminars and meetings at all district headquarters as part of their protest against George Bush's visit, they will collect signatures of democratic activists, intellectuals, patriots and other like-minded people in the twin cities and other important towns in Andhra Pradesh on February 27. They will also take out rallies on March 2 at all district headquarters and organise a big protest rally in Hyderabad on March 3.
