India hosts Khamenei's confidant to convey position on Kashmir and counter criticism

India hosted the secretary of Iran's Supreme Council for Cultural Revolution, Abdol Hossein Khosrow Panah, for a week-long programme last week, aiming to convey among other things its position on the Kashmir issue to Iran's supreme leader in the backdrop of views expressed by the Iranian leadership in this regard over the past year.

Panah is close to Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei, whose views on critical global issues, including Kashmir, define the country's stance, according to people familiar with the matter.

Last year, Khamenei had criticised India over the condition of Muslims in the country. India wanted to reach out to the supreme leader through one of his confidants, said one of the persons cited earlier.


Panah was hosted under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations distinguished guest programme and his schedule included visits to the Taj Mahal and Rajghat.

In September last year, the Indian government had deplored the comments made by Khamenei.

"We strongly deplore the comments made regarding minorities in India by the Supreme Leader of Iran. These are misinformed and unacceptable. Countries commenting on minorities are advised to look at their own record before making any observations about others," the external affairs ministry said in a statement.