Ali Khamenei’s funeral: Who is invited from India and who will attend — Full list of BJP, Congress and PDP leaders invited | Today’s news
Iran is finally ready to organize the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which will take place from July 4 to 9. Tehran has invited several leaders of India’s leading political parties. Last week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the funeral rites, where several BJP, Congress and PDF leaders were also invited.
As PM Modi has prior commitments to travel to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand from July 6-11, it is unlikely that he will attend the event. An official announcement on the amount of participation is awaited.
Read also | Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei calls on the judiciary to restore the nation’s rights
Congressional leaders who received an invitation to Ali Khamenei’s funeral
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid and the party’s media and publicity wing chief Pawan Khera have been invited for the funeral rites, The Hindu reported.
On representing Congress during Ayatollah Khamenei’s funeral in Tehran, Salman Khurshid said: “The President of Congress cannot go and specifically appointed me to represent him and the Congress party, which I will do. I will take a special flight which will be at 4 o’clock and I hope to be there for all the events that are part of Ayatollah Khameine’s funeral.”
He added: “And there are invitations for a lot of people and it’s not clear to me who all could go. Obviously there is a problem with the places and the number of people who can be accommodated. But we have confirmed to the Iranian authorities that I will be representing the Congress Party and the President of the Congress.”
Read also | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral will be held on July 9 in Mashhad
BJP president receives invitation to Ali Khamenei’s funeral
Iran has also invited BJP national president Nitin Nabin, the economic paper reported.
PDP chief receives invitation to Ali Khamenei’s funeral
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and five Shia clerics have also received formal invitations from Iran, The Hindu reported. The PDP chief is likely to visit Tehran “to pay his respects and condole”.
Director of the International Relations Department in the Office of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mohseen Qummi, extended the invitation to the PDP chief. “In light of the deep historical and strategic ties that unite the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of India, I consider it a great honor to invite Your Excellency, as an honored guest of the Indian nation, to participate in this solemn ceremony. Your presence would serve as proof of the deep-rooted friendship and mutual respect between our two great ancient civilizations,” the invitation reads.
Read also | Iran’s Mojtaba Khamenei demands US and Israel face trials for ‘war crimes’
Confirming her acceptance of the invitation and her plan to pay her last respects, Mehbooba Mufti said, “It is an immense honor and a unique opportunity for me to receive this invitation (from Iran). I am traveling there to pay my last respects to the supreme leader,” PTI reported.
Apart from the PDP boss, other leaders who received invitations include National Conference (NC) MP and Shia cleric Aga Syed Ruhullah; J&K People’s Conference leader and Shia cleric Imran Ansari; Shia cleric Aga Syed Mohammad Hadi; Shia cleric Masroor Abbas Ansari and Aga Syed Hassan Mosavi Al Safavi.
Jain monk and spiritual leader Acharya Lokesh Muni also received an official invitation to the state funeral. He is an eminent global peace ambassador, social reformer and founder of Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti.
Who will attend the funeral of Ali Khamenei
The Indian delegation most likely to go to Iran for the funeral rites includes Bihar Governor Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (retired) and Foreign Affairs Minister Pabitra Margherita.
The President of Jammu and Kashmir Anjuman-e-Sharie Shian, Aga Syed Hassan Mosavi Al Safavi, on Tuesday confirmed that he had received the invitation through WhatsApp and was looking forward to representing the sentiments of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking to ANI, he said, “I will be there to pay floral tributes on behalf of the entire community. I will carry the sentiments of the people of Jammu and Kashmir – the spirit of those who stood by the leader – and participate in the programme.”
According to Iranian state media, a public farewell ceremony will begin at 6:00 a.m. (local time) on July 4 at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque and continue until 8:00 p.m. (local time).
The 86-year-old Iranian leader, who was killed on the first day of joint US-Israeli military strikes on February 28, had led the Islamic Republic for 36 years. The multi-day funeral will include events in Qom on July 7 and end with his final burial on July 9 at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, his hometown.
With delegations from Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Russia, China and several Central Asian states attending the ceremony, the Indian delegation is among a large group of foreign dignitaries invited by Tehran to events related to the funeral. The state funeral is expected to draw nearly 20 million mourners across the three cities and is expected to surpass the record of 10 million who attended the funeral of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in 1989.
