Stop buying Israeli military equipment: CPI-M

New Delhi, July 24 (IANS) India must stop buying Israeli military equipment in protest against the killing of civilians in Gaza by Israel, the CPI-M said Thursday.

"Indian people must pressurize this BJP-led NDA government to immediately stop India's purchase of Israeli defence equipment," the CPI-M journal "People's Democracy" said in its editorial.

"India is the world's largest buyer of Israeli armaments. India must, thus, stop financing this Israeli aggression on Gaza through such profits it provides Israel through armament purchases," it added.

The editorial denounced the Bharatiya Janata Party for its alleged claim that solidarity with Palestine was tantamount to the "appeasement" of Muslims in India.

"Those who practice the worst vote bank politics of seeking to consolidate the Hindu vote bank' accuse those who support the Palestinian struggle for a homeland as `appeasement'."

The editorial followed the Narendra Modi government's refusal to have a parliamentary discussion on Israel's military offensive in Gaza that has left hundreds dead. Most victims have been civilians.

The CPI-M said the refusal to discuss the issue "was actually a cover to conceal its (BJP's) real political and ideological affinity with the Zionist project".