Kolkata : Amid reported objections raised by the Chinese consulate to top government officials attending his speech, the Dalai Lama Thursday said some Chinese officials considered him as a “demon” and so raised “every objection” to India providing him a platform to put forth his views.
The Dalai Lama termed such Chinese objections as “quite routine”.
The Tibetan leader’s comments on the sidelines of a programme here came in the context of the Chinese consulate here reportedly giving a letter to the West Bengal government to ensure that neither Governor M.K. Narayanan nor Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attended his function.
However, Narayanan ignored the advice and sat through the Dalai Lama’s lecture marking the birth centenary of Mother Teresa.
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien said the chief minister had to skip the programme as her mother was critically ill.
Narayanan refused to react when scribes sought his comments on the Chinese letter. “What do you expect me to do? If they have written, they have written.”
The Dalai Lama said it was logical from the Chinese point of view. “Some Chinese officials consider me as a demon. They raise every objection. I have faced this before.”
However, the Tibetan spiritual leader said he was against politicising his visit to the city as he no longer headed the political administration of the Tibetan government-in-exile.
In March, the Dalai Lama officially resigned as the political leader.
IANS
