Dalai Lama's Arunachal visit: India asks China not to interfere in internal affairs

New Delhi: Amid a row over the Dalai Lama’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh, the government on Tuesday asked China not to interfere in its internal affairs, saying it respects the ‘One China’ policy and expects Beijing to reciprocate. Making a statement on the visit of the Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said here that the Tibetan spiritual leader’s visit to the border state is completely religious and no political motive should be ascribed to it. [caption id=“attachment_3357430” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Dalai Lama. Reuters[/caption] “There is no political angle behind His Holiness’ visit to Arunachal Pradesh. It is completely religious. Arunachal Pradesh is an inseparable part of India and China should not object to his visit and interfere in India’s internal affairs,” he told reporters. Rijiju said India has never interfered in China’s internal affairs and it expect China to reciprocate. “We respect Beijing’s ‘One China’ policy and we expect China to reciprocate,” he said. The minister, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh, said the state is “not a disputed territory” and is part of the Union of India and a “full-fledged state”. “There may be some differences of opinion between India and China over the boundary. But China has no locus standi over Arunachal Pradesh,” he said. Rijiju said talks between New Delhi and Beijing on the boundary dispute are going on and the people of Arunachal Pradesh are expecting that soon it would be resolved. “I appeal to China not to rake up Arunachal Pradesh issue unnecessarily as the status of the state can’t be questioned,” he said.

Religious sentiments of every community must be given freedom,we expect nobody should have problem on visit of the Dalai Lama to AP-K.Rijiju pic.twitter.com/auun1qnf45

— ANI (@ANI) April 4, 2017

India never interfere into the internal affairs of China.We expect that China also should not interfere in our internal matter: Kiren Rijiju pic.twitter.com/LXyVfxeoWp

— ANI (@ANI) April 4, 2017

Ppl of AP desire to have good neighbourly relations with ppl of China. We never intend to have any problem with our neighbours: Kiren Rijiju pic.twitter.com/UNPnmHrlWl

— ANI (@ANI) April 4, 2017

Visit is purely religious in nature&there should be no political angle given to that: Union Min Kiren Rijiju on Dalai Lama's Arunachal visit pic.twitter.com/0vczonDx3m

— ANI (@ANI) April 4, 2017

The Dalai Lama is scheduled to visit Arunachal Pradesh on 6 April during which he will hold religious discourse with devotees in Tawang, Bomdial and other areas. Earlier, the Chinese Foreign Ministry had warned India that the visit of the Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims as part of Tibet, will cause “serious damage” to bilateral ties. The minister said the Dalai Lama is visiting Arunachal Pradesh at the invitation of the people of the state. “As a democratic country, India can’t interfere in religious affairs of any community,” he said. Rijiju said that the Dalai Lama will confine himself to only religious discourse and he will not make any political statement. He said the people of Arunachal Pradesh want good neighbourly relations with China and want to reopen trading points along the McMahon line which have been closed since 1962. “The trading points were beneficial. People of Arunachal Pradesh are looking toward cooperative attitude from China,” he said. Rijiju said the Arunachal Pradesh government has accorded state guest honour to the Dalai Lama and making arrangements for his stay there. Rijiju said that the Tibetan spiritual leader will also visit his (Rijiju’s) village in West Kameng district where he will inaugurate a Buddhist monastery. The Dalai Lama had last visited Arunachal Pradesh in November 2009. With inputs from PTI