A group of peaceniks here has demanded that President George W. Bush be kept out from the Mahatma Gandhi memorial at Rajghat during his India visit as "George Bush knows nothing about non-violence".

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pours rose petals at Rajghat, memorial of Mahatma Gandhi, on Gandhi's death anniversary in New Delhi January 30, 2006. Mahatma Gandhi, father of Indian nation, was assassinated in 1948. India observes Gandhi's death anniversary as Martyr's day. REUTERS/Kamal Kishore

Peace Action, an organisation based in the Greater Washington Area, said it "denounced" the plan for President Bush to lay a memorial wreath in honour of the champion of non-violence at the Gandhi memorial in New Delhi during his three-day visit beginning Wednesday.

"Mahatma Gandhi was a man of non-violence and peace and is a hero to people all over the world. As his war-strewn presidency shows, George Bush knows nothing about non-violence. Gandhi would in no way condone his actions. Bush should reconsider this cynical, disrespectful display of symbolism," said Kevin Martin, executive director of Peace Action, in a press release.

Furthermore, the group maintained, that Bush was seeking to sign a nuclear deal with India, which was even more contradictory of Gandhi's views.

"Does Bush think Gandhi would bless one of the main purposes of this trip -- to promote nuclear aid to India?" questioned Martin. "Gandhi abhorred nuclear weapons and would surely call for the US and India to pursue the abolition of nuclear weapons."

Peace Action, in its release, claims to be the largest peace and disarmament organisation founded in 1957, and says it has more than 90,000 members nationwide.

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