Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has said India could have expressed condolences at a higher diplomatic level following the funeral ceremony of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. He maintained that attending the funeral of a leader holding such an important position is part of normal international diplomatic practice and should not become a political controversy.
Tharoor Calls For Higher-Level Representation
Speaking on India’s response to the funeral, Tharoor said, “…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…”
Says Paying Tribute Is Standard Diplomatic Practice
The Congress leader said countries across the world routinely send representatives to pay respects after the death of major international figures and cited previous examples from India.
He added, “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.”
Debate Continues Over India’s Representation
Tharoor’s remarks come amid ongoing discussions over India’s level of representation at the funeral ceremony in Tehran. While acknowledging that an Indian delegation had travelled to Iran, he argued that such occasions should be viewed as matters of diplomatic protocol and international courtesy rather than partisan politics.
