New Delhi: India hit back at China Friday, calling the Dalai Lama a “revered religious leader” who was free to conduct his “religious and spiritual activities” in the country, after Beijing called the Tibetan leader a “political exile”, and not a “pure religious figure”.
“The government of India’s position on His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been very clear and consistent. He is a revered religious leader and is deeply respected by the people of India. His Holiness is accorded due courtesies and freedom to conduct his religious and spiritual activities,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a regular press briefing.
Earlier this week, a high-power bipartisan seven-member delegation from the US House of Representatives visited India and met with the Tibetan religious leader at his home in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.
China opposed the visit and in a statement by its foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian Tuesday, said, “It’s known by all that the 14th Dalai Lama is not a pure religious figure, but a political exile engaged in anti-China separatist activities under the cloak of religion.”
The seven-member US delegation included chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. McCaul, while speaking at a public felicitation ceremony Wednesday, revealed that the delegation was “warned” by Beijing to not meet the Dalai Lama.
“We did not let the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) intimidate us, for we are here today,” said McCaul at the public ceremony.
Pelosi used the opportunity to slam Chinese President Xi Jinping, asserting that the Dalai Lama’s legacy “will live forever”, while nobody will “give credit” to Xi “for anything”.
Lin Tuesday urged the US to “fully recognise the anti-China separatist nature” of the “Dalai group”. The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson added that Washington D.C. should “honour the commitments” to China over Tibet and “have no contact with the Dalai group in any form”.
After the Dharamshala visit, the US delegation travelled to Delhi and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and met with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.
“Various aspects of the India-US comprehensive strategic partnership was discussed in the meetings with the Prime Minister, External Affairs and Commerce minister,” Jaiswal said.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
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