‘Iran Brought US to Its Knees’: Indian Pandit’s Fiery Anti-America Speech Goes Viral from Khamenei’s Funeral
A speech by Pandit Vijay Kumar Sharma, a resident of Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, has gone viral on the internet after he was seen sharply criticising the United States and praising Iran at a Quds Day event. Sharma is among several Indians who travelled to Tehran on the invitation of the Iranian government to attend the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
In the widely circulated video, Sharma is heard saying: “They are the ones who never feared America… We must thank Iran because for years we were waiting, the world was waiting for someone to show US its place. Iran brought US to its knees.” He further praised Iranians for their courage and invoked the concept of Hussainiyat, stating that it means “standing with the oppressed,” and that Ayatollah Khamenei always stood for “the oppressed and the poor.”
कुद्स दिवस के एक कार्यक्रम में पंडित विजय कुमार शर्मा का एक वीडियो वायरल हो गया है, जिसमें उन्होंने अमेरिकी प्रभाव के खिलाफ ईरान के प्रतिरोध का समर्थन किया है. अपने भाषण में उन्होंने कहा कि बहुत से लोग लंबे समय से किसी ऐसे व्यक्ति का इंतजार कर रहे थे जो "अमेरिका को घुटनों पर ला… pic.twitter.com/HFdBU9csKX
— State Mirror Hindi (@statemirrornewz) July 4, 2026
The video has since triggered a sharp debate online, particularly among Indians, over whether expressing outright support for Iran is appropriate or whether a more balanced approach should be maintained.
Indian Delegation Pays Tributes in Tehran
Khamenei, who was killed in a US-Israeli strike on February 28, is being laid to rest through a series of funeral ceremonies. His coffin is currently placed at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran for public viewing. The main funeral procession is scheduled for July 6, followed by ceremonies in the holy city of Qom on July 7. The burial in Khamenei’s hometown of Mashhad is scheduled for July 9.
Several prominent Indian figures attended the funeral in different batches. On July 3, a delegation comprising Congress leader and former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, Member of Parliament Pawan Khera, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, and President of Jammu and Kashmir Anjuman-e-Sharie Shian, Aga Syed Hassan Mosavi Al Safavi, paid their tributes in Tehran.
On July 4, Union Minister of State Pabitra Margherita and Bihar Governor Syed Ata Hasnain attended the ceremony and paid their respects on behalf of the Government of India and the Indian people. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had also extended a personal invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the funeral.