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Khamenei Funeral Tests India's US-Iran Balancing
India's BJP, Congress and PDP leaders will attend Khamenei's funeral in July. PM Modi is unlikely to go. The cross-party delegation signals New Delhi's delicate diplomacy between Tehran and Washington.
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Iran will hold the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from July 4 to 9. Tehran extended invitations to leaders from India's BJP, Congress and PDP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is unlikely to attend. He has prior commitments to travel to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand from July 6 to 11.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge declined the invitation. He nominated former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid to represent the party. Khurshid confirmed he will travel on a special flight. “The Congress president is unable to go, and has specifically nominated me to represent him and the Congress party,” Khurshid said. BJP national president Nitin Nabin also received an invitation, the Economic Times reported.
PDP leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti accepted. She called it “an immense honour” and will travel to pay her last respects. The invitation letter from Mohseen Qummi, director of the International Relations Department at the office of the Supreme Leader, stressed “profound historical and strategic ties” and called Mufti a “distinguished guest of the Indian nation.” Five Shia clerics from Jammu and Kashmir also received invites. Jain monk and spiritual leader Acharya Lokesh Muni was invited too.