Telugu Desam Member of Parliament C Ramachandraiah on Thursday reiterated his appeal to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to protest against the United States-led war against Iraq.

He, however, admitted that he was not sure of the response of the Indian government. "I have sent the letter to the prime minister conveying my feelings on the horrible things that are happening. The attack is outrageous for humanity," he said.

"We being the leaders of spiritualism that we have been preaching to other nations, it is unfortunate that we are keeping silent in the wake of such aggression against Iraq," he added.

Though Ramachandraiah wrote the letter to the PM in his individual capacity, TDP members say the party's views are similar to those of the MP.

The Telugu Desam, which is a key supporter of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government, has decried the war on Iraq.

At the all-party meeting convened by Vajpayee, Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party leader K Yerran Naidu said the US attitude of ignoring the United Nations was not correct and the government should take steps in coordination with other countries to stop the war.

In his letter, Ramachandraiah said the US should have had the patience to wait for a consensus on the issue. He said the Americans looked desperate to demonstrate their technological strength in warfare and Iraq was only an excuse.