Flags and posters of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have sparked outrage. The incident came to light on Sunday, June 29, prompting police to remove the banners and flags. Indian Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir and Iran share close ties. Moreover, there is a historical connection between Khamenei and India, as his great-grandfather hailed from Uttar Pradesh.
In Pune, Iranian flags and posters of Khamenei were displayed in the Loni Kalbhor area on the Solapur National Highway. The incident came to light after a video went viral on social media. Police have since removed the flags and banners and are investigating who put them up.
The viral video was shared by BJP's social media handle with a caption in Marathi, "A shocking incident came to light around noon on Sunday in the Loni Station area along the Pune-Solapur National Highway, where flags of Iran and flex banners of its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei were displayed. What action will the Loni Kalbhor police take? Citizens are eagerly watching."
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Khamenei’s great-grandfather, Syed Ahmed Mousavi, was born in the village of Kintur near Barabanki in the 19th century. Mousavi moved from Kintur to Iran in 1830 and settled there.