Members of the All India Shia Council staged a protest in Chikkaballapur against the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in Israeli and US strikes. A protester stated that her daughter was currently doing an internship in Iran and was safe. She added that her daughter had expressed deep sadness over the martyrdom of their supreme leader. In Chikkaballapur, Superintendent of Police Kushal Chouksey said that there was a village named Alipur where around 90 per cent of the population comprised Shia Muslims, with an estimated population of about 25,000 people. He explained that in view of the incident that had taken place in Iran, the police had arrived in the village to maintain law and order and ensure peace, and that an adequate number of personnel had been deployed.
He further said that the police had spoken to the Anjuman-E-Islam committee and its members, who had assured their cooperation. According to him, the committee had decided that after the afternoon prayer at 2:30 pm, a procession of nearly 3,000 people would be taken out from the Masjid to the Bengaluru Circle. He added that the law and order situation remained under control.
Members of the All India Shia Council organised a protest in Poonch, condemning the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who reportedly died in strikes carried out by Israel and the United States. Shortly after Iranian media confirmed his death, Jammu and Kashmir’s Shia Association issued a statement mourning the loss of his family members.
In a post on X, the association said that it mourned the martyrdom of the family members of Imam Khamenei and added that its prayers were with the Leader and the people of Iran. This was seen as the first reaction from religious groups in India after the news of Khamenei’s death emerged. Visuals circulated by ANI showed Kashmiri Shia Muslims staging demonstrations against the killing.
Meanwhile, the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi lowered its flag to half-mast on Sunday following confirmation that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed in coordinated strikes reportedly carried out by the United States and Israel a day earlier. Iranian state media reported that his daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law and son-in-law were also among those killed, describing the development as a significant escalation in regional tensions.
The strikes were said to have been conducted under operations named Operation Epic Fury and Lion’s Roar, targeting locations associated with Iran’s leadership. In retaliation, Iran launched missiles and drones towards Israel and US military bases in the region, sharply escalating tensions across West Asia and raising fears of a broader confrontation.