Iranian envoy claims billion-strong India protests after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s murder
An Iranian envoy in India claimed over one billion people protested after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, citing rare human solidarity across religious lines, although reports suggest smaller-scale demonstrations
The Iranian Supreme Leader's representative in India, Abdul Majid Hakim Elahi, asserted that over a billion people across India, encompassing various religious groups including Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Christians, Shiite and Sunni Muslims, participated in ceremonies and gatherings to express solidarity following the alleged killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an Israeli-US airstrike, a claim reported by Iran International. Hakim Elahi described these events as unprecedented demonstrations of human solidarity, with large numbers of Indians thronging his New Delhi office to offer condolences, though the article also notes protests occurred in parts of India, notably the Kashmir Valley and cities like Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, without confirming the vast scale attributed by the envoy.
The Iranian Supreme Leader's representative in India, Abdul Majid Hakim Elahi, asserted that over a billion people across India, encompassing various religious groups including Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Christians, Shiite and Sunni Muslims, participated in ceremonies and gatherings to express solidarity following the alleged killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an Israeli-US airstrike, a claim reported by Iran International. Hakim Elahi described these events as unprecedented demonstrations of human solidarity, with large numbers of Indians thronging his New Delhi office to offer condolences, though the article also notes protests occurred in parts of India, notably the Kashmir Valley and cities like Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, without confirming the vast scale attributed by the envoy.
The Iranian Supreme Leader's representative in India, Abdul Majid Hakim Elahi, asserted that over a billion people across India, encompassing various religious groups including Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Christians, Shiite and Sunni Muslims, participated in ceremonies and gatherings to express solidarity following the alleged killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an Israeli-US airstrike, a claim reported by Iran International. Hakim Elahi described these events as unprecedented demonstrations of human solidarity, with large numbers of Indians thronging his New Delhi office to offer condolences, though the article also notes protests occurred in parts of India, notably the Kashmir Valley and cities like Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, without confirming the vast scale attributed by the envoy.
The representative of the Iranian Supreme Leader in India, Abdul Majid Hakim Elahi, has claimed that over one billion people in India took to the streets after the Israeli-US airstrike killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to a report.
Hakim Elahi made the bold claim while addressing a gathering entitled "Indians in Mofid Square in Qom", reported UK-based anti-regime publication, Iran International. “More than one billion people in India expressed their sympathy and solidarity with the Iranian people by participating in various ceremonies and gatherings in the squares,” he added.
He said the announcement of the “martyrdom of the Supreme Leader” prompted Shiite and Sunni Muslims, as well as Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Christians, and others, to stand together to express condolences and solidarity with Iran, describing it as “rare scenes of human solidarity.” The envoy said that a large number of Indians participated in this humanitarian and emotional movement, and that popular delegations had been thronging the office of the representative of the "Supreme Leader" in New Delhi to offer condolences and express solidarity.
Qom is home to one of the largest Indian communities in Iran, with a population of 3,000 to 3,500 nationals, many of whom are students enrolled in religious seminaries and universities. The holy city is currently serving as a strategic relocation hub for Indian nationals and medical students evacuating crisis zones like Tehran.
There were protests in many parts of India post the killing of the former Supreme Leader, especially in the Kashmir Valley, where Shia Muslims comprise approximately 10% to 20% of the Muslim population. The situation had prompted Omar Abdullah, the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, to express his “deep concern” about the situation in Iran, while urging demonstrators to remain calm and “avoid any actions that could lead to tension or unrest”.
Protests were also held in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, but probably not on the scale mentioned by Hakim Elahi.