Protests erupted in several Indian states against the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday in a joint military operation conducted by the United States and Israel.
Amid the demonstrations, authorities in Jammu and Kashmir curtailed mobile internet speed, reported PTI.
Khamenei, 86, had served as Iran’s supreme leader since 1989. He controlled all branches of the government and the armed forces.
He was considered a significant figure among Muslims from the Shia community.
He was killed when Israel and the US on Saturday launched a joint operation in Iran to “degrade the capabilities” of the Iranian government. Iran retaliated to the attacks and said that the US-Israeli operation had begun while the nuclear negotiations were on.
After Khamenei’s death on Sunday, Tehran vowed revenge and fired missiles at Israel and other countries across the Gulf.
In India, protests were held in Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Karnataka against the leader’s killing.
Jammu and Kashmir
In Jammu and Kashmir, the police sealed off Lal Chowk in Srinagar and restricted civilian movement on Monday after protests were the previous day in the Union Territory against Khamenei’s killing, The Indian Express reported.
Lal Chowk had been occupied by protesters the entire day on Sunday.
The newspaper quoted unidentified officials as saying that the action was taken after a meeting of security officials on Sunday evening to discuss the protests in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley.
The officials added that there were concerns that the protests could potentially lead to law and order disruptions in the Union Territory.
As part of the restrictions, inter-district movement will not be allowed on Monday, The Indian Express reported. Checkpoints will also be set up at entry and exit points to prevent persons from assembling.
While crowds will not be able to assemble, residents would be allowed to mourn the death of Khamenei in imambaras, the newspaper quoted.
Imambaras are specialised religious assembly halls used primarily by Muslims from the Shia community to conduct mourning rituals.
Additionally, the authorities throttled high-speed mobile internet, reported PTI. Network speeds have been curtailed across all mobile networks in the Kashmir valley.
Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi on Sunday described the closing of Lal Chowk as a “disgrace” and “a shameful act”.
“It [Lal Chowk] is available for dance and music parties, which is the symbolic identity you want to attach to it,” the National Conference leader said. “But when people came out to mourn, to stand in solidarity with the innocent lives being torn apart, it threatens you despite the fact that the demonstrations were entirely peaceful.”
He added: “Do not insult us by treating our grief as a law and order problem. Do not interfere in what are deeply emotional moments for the people of Kashmir”.
Ruhullah also asked the administration not to “side with tyrants”.
Rajasthan
In Rajasthan’s Ajmer, the Shia community on Sunday announced a three-day mourning for Khamenei, PTI reported.
The announcement was made by Syed Asif Ali, a leader from the community, who urged members to refrain from celebrations during the period.
Condolence meetings were also organised at religious places, according to the news agency.
Karnataka
In Alipur village of Karnataka’s Chickballapur district, members of the Shia community called for a protest march and announced three days of mourning, The Hindu reported.
Residents told the newspaper that Khamenei had visited the village and inaugurated a community hospital in 1981 as a 41-year-old cleric in the early years of the Islamic Republic.
“Khamenei inaugurated Imam Khomeini Hospital in Alipur, which is still run by the Anjuman-e-Jafaria Committee in the village,” the newspaper quoted Shafeeq Abidi, an Urdu poet and former journalist from Alipur, as saying. “Today we are all in grief and mourning following the death of Khamenei.”
In Bengaluru, hundreds of Shia Muslims gathered in Richmond Town on Sunday for a condolence meet and a solidarity march, The Times of India reported.
Delhi
Hundreds gathered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to mourn the killing of Khamenei, The Indian Express reported. The gathering was organised by the All India Shia Council.
The crowds shouted “America Murdabad” and “Netanyahu Murdabad” during the gathering.
Mohseen Taqvi, the imam of the Jama Masjid, said that US President Donald Trump was not just against Iran, but against humanity.
“No one wanted this. Not even Americans,” the newspaper quoted him as saying. “It’s just Trump. Look what he is doing to our own country. We are being told what to buy, where to buy.”
Maharashtra
In Mumbai too, Shia Muslims took to the streets to protest against the killing of the supreme leader, ANI reported.
#WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra: Shia Muslims take to the streets to protest against the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has been killed in Israeli and US strikes pic.twitter.com/jVEP2JXm9T
— ANI (@ANI) March 1, 2026 Uttar Pradesh
Protests were held in Uttar Pradesh’s capital Lucknow by members of the Shia community.
On Sunday, several gathered near the Bara Imam Bara mosque and shouted slogans during a protest, The New Indian Express reported.
Maulana Yasoob Abbas, general secretary of the All India Shia Personal Law Board, announced that effigies of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be burnt during another protest on Monday.
The Shia community also declared a three-day mourning, according to the newspaper.
Jharkhand
In Jharkhand’s Ranchi, representatives of the Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India held a protest to condemn the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
The groups described the attack as “criminal and violent”, saying that it was “in flagrant violation of Iran’s national sovereignty, the UN [United Nations] Charter and all international treaties”.
They said that the attack on Iran, which began immediately after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel, “demonstrated how wrong and damaging this visit was to Indian interests”.
The groups added: “On the one hand, the Modi government compromised 50,000 Indian workers. On the other, abandoning decades of its foreign policy, it is now following these fascists.”
A procession was also taken out by the Jharkhand unit of the All India Shia Personal Law Board, where the participants displayed photos of Khamenei, reported PTI.
Madhya Pradesh
In Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal, a condolence meeting and protest were held by Shia Muslims in the Karond area to mourn and condemn Khamenei’s death, The New Indian Express reported.
Prominent religious leaders said that the supreme leader’s “martyrdom” in the holy month of Ramzan and his contributions to Islam would be remembered.
More than 100 members of the community also participated in a protest march, shouting slogans against the US and Israel, after the meeting, the newspaper reported.
The attacks
The attacks in Iran came amid tensions over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Washington acts as a guarantor of Israel’s security. Israel has been claiming that Iran is “closer than ever” to obtaining a nuclear weapon, which could alter the regional security balance.
Iran has long maintained that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes.
However, amid fears of a potential attack, with a heavy US military deployment off its coast in recent months, Tehran had been forced to reopen negotiations with Washington about its nuclear programme.
On Sunday, Khamenei’s daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law and son-in-law were also killed in the joint US-Israeli military operation,
Subsequently, senior Iranian cleric Alireza Arafi was appointed to serve as part of the country’s interim leadership. Arafi has been named the jurist member of the temporary leadership council responsible for carrying out the supreme leader’s duties during the transition period until a successor is selected under Iran’s constitutional process.
India on Saturday said that it was “deeply concerned” about the recent developments in Iran and the Gulf. The Ministry of External Affairs urged all sides to exercise restraint, avoid escalation and prioritise the safety of civilians. “Dialogue and diplomacy should be pursued to de-escalate tensions,” it stated.
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