Congress leader Salman Khurshid has confirmed that he will attend the state funeral ceremony of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in Iran.
“I am representing the party and will attend the state
funeral ceremony of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei,” he said.
Iran has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and BJP chief Nitin Nabin, among others, for the burial ceremonies for Iran’s late Supreme Leader.
Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita and Bihar Governor Syed Ata Hasnain will travel to Iran to represent at the ceremony.
“The high-level representation in the ceremony underscores the importance of civilisational ties, including people-to-people connection, between the two countries, providing a robust foundation to political and economic engagements,” the ministry said in a brief statement.
Khamenei, who ruled Iran for the last three decades, was killed on February 28, the first day of massive US and Israeli air strikes on Tehran.
The funeral programme will begin with a farewell event in Tehran on July 4-5, and the main funeral procession in the Iranian capital is scheduled for July 6, according to Iran’s state-run media.
On July 7, ceremonies will be held in the holy city of Qom, and the burial in Khamenei’s hometown of Mashhad is scheduled for July 9.
