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India asks China not to create artificial controversy over Dalai Lama's Arunachal visit

by IBNS 03 Apr 2017, 08:41 pm

New Delhi, Apr 4 (IBNS) : India has warned China against creating "an artificial controversy" around the Dali Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, NDTV reports.

India has pointed out that the Tibetan spiritual leader has visited the north-eastern state in the past, and that "no additional colour should be ascribed to his religious and spiritual activities and visits to various states of India."

China has regularly denounced the Dalai Lama's  visits to the region as it sees it as an attempt to strengthen  India's territorial claims.

China said on Friday last that it was "resolutely opposed" to the visit, and urged India to "avoid taking any actions that would further complicate the border issue".

India has always maintained that Arunachal is an integral part of India.

The Dalai Lama's visit to the state comes eight years after his previous visit.

Meanwhile, the spritual leader  on Tuesday deferred his trip to Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang due to inclement weather.

According to the Times of India, the Dalai Lama was set to leave Guwahati by a chopper, but the bad weather has forced him to travel by road and change his stop to Bomdila.

After staying at Bomdila, where  he will make a public appearance on Wednesday, he will proceed to Tawang, just 25 km away from the McMahon Line that demarcates the imaginary bouindary between India and China.

China claims the territory as its own.

The Dalai Lama will stay at Tawang till April 7.