Shashi Tharoor defends India at Khamenei funeral: 'Respect the departed; don't politicise it'

“...I would argue that normally, when such a senior leader who is the principal spiritual leader passes away, a more elevated level of condolence could and should have been expressed...It is true that a delegation has now gone. The Congress Party is also represented by my good friend Salman Khurshid and others. It is important that in a situation like this, we should always show respect to the departed who occupy such a significant position...Even at Mother Teresa’s funeral, and after the passing away of Rajiv Gandhi and his assassination, we witnessed world leaders coming to India. It is a normal practice. For countries from around the world to go and express their condolences and pay their respects to the departed soul is a very normal thing. I think we should not be making a big political issue out of that…,” said Shashi Tharoor.