New Delhi: Some non-Congress Opposition parties on August 29 opposed visit by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to India in September and asked all democratic organisations and citizens to protest the trip.

"To have such a person as a honoured guest is an insult to India's longstanding tradition of unequivocal support to the struggle of the Palestinian people for national liberation and an independent state," a joint statement issued by leaders of Left parties, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) said.

Pointing out that the Israeli Prime Minister "has earned notoriety for his brutal repression of the Palestinian people", they said Sharon's official visit to India from September 9 at the invitation of Vajpayee government was the "most unfortunate decision by the government of India".

The statement was issued by Harkishan Singh Surjeet (Communist Party of India-Marxist), A B Bardhan (CPI), K Pankajakshan (RSP), Debabrata Biswas (Forward Bloc), Dipankar Bhattacharya (CPI-ML), H D Deve Gowda (JD-S), Amar Singh (Samajwadi Party) and Laloo Prasad Yadav (RJD).

PTI