Kashmir unrest: Tear gas, baton charge as crowd protests Khamenei killing

Police in Jammu and Kashmir fired tear gas shells and carried out a lathi charge on Monday to disperse demonstrators protesting the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for a second straight day, as authorities enforced restrictions across all districts of the valley as a precautionary measure.

The unrest comes amid heightened national vigilance after the Ministry of Home Affairs circulated a cautionary advisory to state governments warning of potential communal tensions in the wake of recent military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran.

The February 28 communication cautioned that overseas developments could trigger "ripple effects" domestically, particularly through inflammatory rhetoric at religious gatherings.


The ministry urged states to closely monitor and identify "pro-Iran radical preachers giving inflammatory sermons" that could incite unrest, stressing the need for tighter intelligence sharing and preventive policing to avert any law-and-order breakdown.

Officials said the advisory blends routine precautionary measures with a sharper focus on speeches or messaging that could aggravate communal sentiment at a sensitive moment.

Authorities in New Delhi have been tracking the fast-moving crisis in West Asia not only for its geopolitical implications but also for possible domestic spillovers, particularly if global developments are used by fringe elements to inflame local tensions.