Bihar Governor Syed Ata Hasnain, MoS Pabitra Margherita Chosen to Represent India at Ali Khamenei's Funeral in Iran

Bihar Governor Syed Ata Hasnain and Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita will travel to Iran to represent India at the funeral of the country's late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. 

Government sources confirmed the decision on Monday, following an invitation sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

The funeral services will take place in several Iranian cities from July 4 to July 9. Khamenei’s body will lie in state at the Grand Mosalla complex in Tehran on July 4 and 5 for public viewing. A funeral procession is scheduled in Tehran on July 6, which officials have declared a public holiday in the province. The final burial will take place on July 9 in Mashhad, Khamenei’s birthplace.

The Ministry of External Affairs received the invitation last week. While Prime Minister Modi was personally invited, India decided to send a delegation instead, as the Prime Minister has a scheduled visit to East Asia and Oceania from July 6 to July 11.

Khamenei died on February 28 after air strikes in Tehran, and the funeral services were delayed until July due to regional tensions. 

Governor Hasnain is a retired military commander with past diplomatic experience, and Margherita represents the foreign ministry making them the obvious choices to represent India at the significant and critical global event.

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