Shia groups hold mourning meet near Bengaluru after Ayatollah Khamenei’s death
Bengaluru: Leaders and members of the Shia community gathered in Alipur village on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Sunday to mourn the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and announced a three-day period of mourning.
According to community representatives quoted by The Observer Post, prayers were offered in remembrance of Khamenei. Black flags were hoisted in the village as residents assembled to pay their respects. Speakers at the gathering condemned the reported joint strikes by the United States and Israel that led to his death, describing the development as concerning for Shia Muslims.
The confirmation of Khamenei’s death reportedly came during the intervening night of February 28 and March 1, after US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly confirmed the killing. The United States and Israel said they had carried out pre-emptive strikes on multiple locations in Iran, including Tehran. Israel named its military action Operation Lion’s Roar, while the United States termed its campaign Operation Epic Fury.
Following the development, the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in New Delhi lowered its flag to half-mast and issued a statement calling upon governments around the world to condemn the attack. The statement added that Iran would continue on its chosen path and warned of consequences for those responsible.
Mourning meetings and protests were also reported from parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Lucknow. The Jammu and Kashmir Shia Association expressed grief over Khamenei’s death and offered prayers for the people of Iran.
Speaking to reporters, Shia community leader Syed Samar Kazmi criticised the strike and alleged that Khamenei had been targeted for raising international issues, including Palestine. Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahli, Chairman of the Islamic Centre of India, also condemned the attack and appealed for restraint, calling for international efforts to prevent further escalation.
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India's neighbours wanted to break up Assam but Modi govt shattered their dreams: Fadnavis
Dibrugarh/Jorhat (PTI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday claimed India's neighbours wanted to "break up" Assam by taking advantage of the unrest here earlier, but their "dreams were shattered" as the Narendra Modi government brought peace to the region.
Militancy has come to an end, and 92 per cent of the assurances made in the peace agreements with various groups have already been implemented, he told a poll rally.
Fadnavis maintained that the BJP-led government in Assam has not only ensured the state's development but also protected its identity.
He accused the Congress of having neglected the state and the northeastern region by adopting a "step-motherly attitude" towards them, while Modi has put the region at the centre of development.
Addressing a rally in support of BJP's Dibrugarh candidate Prasanta Phukan, Fadnavis said, "Due to the unrest in the state earlier, neighbouring countries thought they would break Assam someday. But their dreams were shattered by Modi ji, and Assam is progressing fast today."
Crediting the BJP government for bringing the militant groups to the mainstream, the Maharashtra chief minister said not only were peace accords signed with them, but 92 per cent of the assurances made have been implemented.
"Work is on for implementing the remaining eight per cent of promises also," he added.
Highlighting the various welfare measures of the state government, Fadnavis said special emphasis was being given on women's empowerment in line with the Centre's thrust on it.
"Women have benefited the most under Modiji's government. It will be 'Mahila raaj' from 2029 when 33 per cent reservation is implemented in Parliament and state Assemblies," he added.
Speaking at another rally in support of the BJP's Jorhat candidate Hitendra Nath Goswami earlier, the Maharashtra chief minister alleged that infiltration was at its peak in Assam under Congress governments.
"People had to launch a movement against it, and scores were martyred. But the influx did not stop, and the state was burning. It was staring at a full demographic change."
"But the situation changed when Modi came to power. Infiltration has been stopped, and almost all militant groups in the state are returning to the mainstream," he claimed.
Fadnavis claimed that the state's demography would have changed and Assam's history would have been rewritten under the Congress rule.
"But the Modi government works not just for development, but also protects the state's identity, culture, history, and tradition," he said.
He told the gathering that the BJP-led government has ensured massive infrastructure development for the state.
Mentioning the Tata Group's semiconductor unit at Jagiroad, Fadnavis said, "It is a gift of Modi ji to Assam. It will place the state on the global map."
He added that countries with the ability to manufacture semiconductors will be global leaders in the future, and India has joined the elite ranks of a handful of nations.
Taking a dig at the Congress, Fadnavis alleged it had always adopted a "step-motherly attitude" towards the northeast, due to which the region did not see much development, and was embroiled in unrest.
He also criticised the opposition party for its "anti-national stance" during the West Asia crisis, claiming it was trying to create discontentment among the people by raising false doubts over the availability of LPG and fuel.
"We had also been in the opposition, but we had never acted in such a shameful manner," he said.
Taking a dig at state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, who is also the opposition party's candidate in Jorhat, Fadnavis said, "Those in Lok Sabha should remain there. BJP will return to power, and he will have no work here."
Gogoi is also the opposition party's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha.
