Khamenei mourners gather as Modi cosies up to Netanyahu

Mourners gathered in various parts of India and Indian-administered Kashmir over the weekend to mourn the assassination of Iranian Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by a joint US-Israel-led attack, despite no official condemnation from India itself.

PM Narendra Modi said that he had a call with Netanyahu just days after the butcher of Gaza attacked Iran. During his conversation with Netanyahu, Modi stated that he “conveyed India’s concerns over recent developments and emphasised the safety of civilians as a priority,” adding that “India reiterates the need for an early cessation of hostilities.”

Modi has also communicated with the US-Israel ally, the UAE, and expressed “solidarity.”

And, Modi also visited Israel from February 25-26, warmly embracing Netanyahu and promising that India and Israel’s friendship would continue to soar. In fact, as chair of BRICS, India has broken from the bloc’s consensus by refraining from condemning the US-Israel attacks on Iran. Other BRICS members like Brazil, Russia, China, and South Africa issued strong statements criticizing the strikes and urging restraint.

Reactions from streets of India

Officials told The Hindu newswire that hundreds of protestors took to the streets in Shia-majority areas of Kashmir on Sunday to demonstrate against the killing of the Iranian leader.

Maktoob Media reported mourning by people at Masjid Babul Ilm in Jamia Nagar, Delhi:

According to reports from Newx, the death of Khamenei has sparked widespread protests across India. “From Kashmir to Lucknow, mourners gathered to honor the Iranian Supreme Leader, leaving social media bitterly divided over the reactions,” it said.

Meanwhile, opposition parties condemned the targeted killing of the Iranian leader. Modi’s main opposition – the Congress Party – said:

Dissent from within

The assassination of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by forces of the invading US-Israel axis must be condemned unequivocally even by the critics of the Iranian government. The US has no business to inflict a regime change on Iran. The experience of countries like Iraq, Libya, Syria, Afghanistan that have been targeted earlier by the US for regime change operations clearly shows that the US is only interested in destabilising sovereign countries to establish its own exclusive geo-political domination in West Asia. For decades the US and Israel have falsely accused Iran of being just weeks away from becoming a nuclear power. Even as Iran accepted the diplomatic process to seek a negotiated settlement, the US-Israel axis attacked Iran and assassinated Iran’s supreme leader and several of his family members and close officials. The people of Iran alone have the right to determine the future of their country and India must unequivocally denounce the US-Israel bid to subjugate Iran and install a puppet regime.

Clearly, the many protesters and opposition parties in India do not view Israel the same craven manner Modi does.

Featured image via the Canary