New Delhi [India], March 3 (ANI): Congress MP Imran Masood on Tuesday met Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi, the India-based representative of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, to offer his condolences following Khamenei's passing.

Speaking to reporters, Masood described the death of the Iranian leader as a 'sad event,' emphasising the deep-rooted and centuries-old ties between India and Iran. He said he had personally conveyed his sympathies during the meeting.

'Seeing the passing of the head of any country is always a sad event, and India has had centuries-old ties with Iran. Regarding the passing of Khamenei Sahib, I came here to express my condolences on his death. I met with the representative of the Supreme Leader of Iran who is stationed in India and conveyed my sympathies,' Imran Masood told reporters.

Masood also shared details of his conversation with the representative, noting that Khamenei held India in high regard. According to him, the late leader often said that anyone wishing to truly understand India should read 'The Discovery of India' by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Describing Khamenei as a learned and capable figure with extensive knowledge of India, Masood said the Iranian leader felt a strong intellectual and ideological connection with both Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru. He added that Khamenei had spoken about the 3,000-year-old friendship between India and Iran, referencing Nehru's writings on the historical relationship.

'He (Khamenei) said that the friendship between Iran and India is 3,000 years old. Khamenei Sahib himself mentioned that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, in his Discovery of India, wrote about this relationship. He (Khamenei's representative) said he (Khamenei) had read it four times and personally told me, 'To understand India, read Discovery of India.' He was a very learned and capable person who possessed extensive knowledge about India and had a special connection with Gandhi Ji and Nehru, sharing a similar ideology. Iran has always maintained this bond in the interest of humanity and has consistently stood for the principle that humanity must continue to thrive,' said Imran Masood.

Earlier, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, stating that the government's silence on the 'targeted assassination' of Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is 'not neutral but an abdication.'I

In an opinion editorial (op-ed) piece in The Indian Express, Sonia Gandhi said India's lack of response 'signals tacit endorsement of this tragedy.

'On March 1, Iran confirmed that its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei, had been assassinated in targeted strikes carried out the previous day by the United States and Israel. The killing of a sitting head of state in the midst of ongoing negotiations marks a grave rupture in contemporary international relations. Yet, beyond the shock of the event, what stands out equally starkly is New Delhi's silence,' Sonia Gandhi said in her opinion piece.

US and Israel conducted airstrikes across multiple Iranian cities on February 28, targeting military command centres, air-defence systems, missile sites, and key regime infrastructure.

These strikes resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and four senior military and security officials, with large explosions reported in Tehran and other major cities.

In response, Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles and drones at US assets and allies across the region, including Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, further widening the conflict in the Middle East and heightening risks for civilians and expatriates alike. (ANI)