Despite objections from Beijing, New Delhi has cleared Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama’s week-long visit to Arunachal Pradesh from November 8, which will take him to the 300-year-old Tawang monastery among other places.
Showing a copy of the External Affairs Ministry’s letter to reporters, the chairperson of the State level reception committee, T. G. Rinpoche, said on Monday that the Ministry had cleared the visit on October 19 and it was conveyed here the next day.
However, Mr. Rinpoche explained that the files containing the Ministry’s clearance were not handed over to Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu because of the model code of conduct in force for the Assembly elections.
Also, letters signed by Monica Jain, director of the External Affairs Ministry, directing for adequate security arrangement were sent to the chief secretaries of West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, he said.
Mr. Khandu had told the media on Sunday that the State had not received the clearance of the External Affairs Ministry, though the deputy commissioner of Tawang had received a communication in this regard from Dharamsala.
The Dalai Lama will leave from Dharamshala for Japan on October 29 and arrive in Guwahati on November eight via Kolkata. He will leave for Tawang via a helicopter.
