New Delhi, Nov. 2: The CPM may have lifted its boycott of American Presidents’ addresses to Parliament for reasons best known to Prakash Karat, but not some minority groups.

At least six Muslim groups, including the Jamaat-e-Islami, All India Muslim Personal Law Board and the Muslim Political Council, have decided to hold a protest rally on November 7, the day Barack Obama lands in Delhi.

“The Left may have its reasons for welcoming Obama. But there is no way Muslims can welcome him as we don’t see any difference between Bush’s America and Obama’s,’’ said Mujtaba Farooq, the political affairs secretary of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.

Tasleem Rehmani, the secretary of the Muslim Political Council, echoed him. “Obama has failed to make any positive impact on American imperialist agenda. The Muslims had expected a lot when he became President but he has been a disappointment….

“America has a very rigid set of policies and Obama has failed to make any change.”

Commenting on Karat’s decision not to boycott Obama’s November 8 address —there was no speech on Bush’s agenda in 2006 because the Left had threatened to disrupt it — Rehmani said: “We don’t know what change the Left has seen after Obama took charge. It is hypocrisy on their part to sit and listen patiently to the President’s address.’’

He said that while Karat had the right to say “Obama is not Bush”, he also had the responsibility “to spell out the differences”.

The Muslim groups are planning to take out the rally from Ramlila Maidan to Jantar Mantar. “We have invited all Muslim groups for the rally… every thinking Muslim is seething with anger against America and its imperialist policies,” Rehmani said.

The Jamaat-e-Islami is also organising a convention, “Save the Nation from Poverty, Slavery and Imperialism”, the same day. S.Q.R. Ilyas of the Jamaat-e-Islami claimed the Indian government was running the country against the principles of justice, non-alignment and socialism, and the convention would protest its “imperialistic” policies.

The Muslims’ main grouse against Obama is that US policies in West Asia, Iraq and Afghanistan have not changed since he took charge. They are “disappointed” that the Left, which had joined the Jamaat-e-Islami in staging protests during Bush’s visit, has changed its position.

The Left had boycotted Bill Clinton’s address to Parliament in 2000.