India says only the Dalai Lama and his organisation have the authority to identify his successor, in a rare rebuke against China ahead of the spiritual leader’s 90th birthday on Sunday.
00:00In a rare rebuke against China, India says only the Dalai Lama and his organisation have the authority to identify his successor.
00:09Its Minister of Parliamentary and Minority Affairs, Kiran Rijiju, made the statement ahead of visiting the Dalai Lama's base for the religious leader's 90th birthday on Sunday.
00:20Rijiju told local media that no one had the right to interfere in the succession process, emphasising that only the Dalai Lama and the organisation he founded hold that authority.
00:32He will be joined by other Indian officials at their birthday celebrations in the northern Indian town of Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama has lived in exile for decades.
00:42The comment came just days after the Tibetan spiritual leader reiterated that only his Gaden Podrang Trust can name his successor, despite Beijing's claim that it must approve any reincarnation under its laws.
00:56The Dalai Lama has also said his successor would be born outside of China.
01:01In response to Rijiju's statement, China warned India against interfering in China's internal affairs through Tibet-related matters.
01:09India-China ties have been strained since a deadly border clash in 2020, but have been slowly improving over the years.
Be the first to comment