Ayatollah Ali Khamenei death: Protests in J&K, Delhi & UP; BJP stays mum

New Delhi | Srinagar: The killing of Iran supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei triggered protests in different parts of the country, mostly by the Shia Muslim community. In Jammu and Kashmir, protestors in Srinagar, Kargil and Ladakh regions condemned the assassination. The J&K administration allowed peaceful protests as internet speed was restricted in most areas across Kashmir valley. The administration has announced the closure of educational institutions for two days -- March 2 and 3.

The Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulama, an amalgam of religious organisations across J&K and Ladakh, led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has called for a strike on Monday. "We urge the people to observe it with unity, dignity, and complete peacefulness," it said.

Protests were held in Delhi and different cities of UP, including Lucknow, Amroha, Meerut, Lakhimpur, Saharanpur and Ayodhya. People took to the streets and chanted slogans against Israel and the US. Several Shia clerics issued statements criticising the US-Israel attack on Iran and black flags were hoisted at mosques to mourn Khamenei's death. The All India Shia Personal Law Board has announced a three-day mourning. It has appealed to people to wear black clothes, and mourning meetings will be organised every day for the coming few days.


BJP, however, maintained a silence with no official statement from the party till the time the story went to press. Sources in the BJP told ET that the party is assessing the situation. Some UP-based party leaders told ET that for the past few years, BJP has been able to make inroads into different sects of the Muslim community. A sizable population of the Shia community has been voters of the party in Lucknow and other parts of the state. Khamenei's killing during the holy month of Ramadan, could unite the different Muslim sects. However, it is too early to draw a conclusion on the after-effects of the global events.