Nitin Nabin, Mallikarjun Kharge invited to Ayatollah Khamenei's funeral? Iran prepares for grand ceremony
Iran has invited Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Nabin and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to attend the funeral of late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Iran has invited Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Nabin and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to attend the funeral of late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Hindustan Times has learnt. The last rites of Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israel strikes on February 28, will be held next week. The media house reported earlier that Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita and the Bihar governor Lt Gen (retired) Syed Ata Hasnain are also expected to represent India at Khamenei's funeral programme. Also Read | India refutes delay claims over Ayatollah Khamenei condolence book signing Margherita and Hasnain, one of the few members of the Shia community to currently hold a constitutional position, are expected to participate in the event to be held in Tehran on July 4 on behalf of the Indian government, sources told HT.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian extended a personal invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the burial ceremonies for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to news agency PTI report citing diplomatic officials. New Delhi has yet to confirm whether PM Modi will attend the ceremonies, which are scheduled to take place across multiple Iranian cities between July 5 and 9. Iran prepares for late supreme leader's funeral Giant portraits of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's late supreme leader, hung from Tehran's Grand Mosalla on Tuesday as workers raced to prepare for his grand funeral ceremony, AFP reported on His funeral, initially delayed at the height of the Middle East war, will take place as Iran and the United States observe a fragile ceasefire after signing a preliminary deal to halt the conflict.
Khamenei, a spiritual figure for many Shias, was killed aged 86 at his compound in the centre of the Iranian capital on February 28, the first day of the war. His public funeral will begin on Saturday, with his body lying in state at the colossal complex in central Tehran that hosts major Friday prayers, official ceremonies and religious gatherings. The bodies of his slain relatives will also be presented. The ceremonies are expected to draw between 15 and 20 million mourners, according to officials, which would make it the biggest state funeral in the country's history.
Workers applied fresh paint across the venue, while a heavy police presence could be seen around the site.
The BriefWire