China: Don’t use Dalai to undermine our interests
ARUNACHAL VISIT Beijing continues to remind New Delhi about its commitment to resolving Tibetrelated issues through dialogue
India shouldn’t undermine China’s interests by “using” Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, Beijing said on Monday, adding once again that his high-profile visit to Arunachal Pradesh this month had harmed bilateral ties.
“Dalai Lama’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh had a negative impact on India-China ties. India should observe its commitment on Tibet-related issues and should not use the Dalai Lama to undermine China’s interests,” foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said.
China claims Arunachal Pradesh is part of southern Tibet and the Dharamshala-based 14th Dalai Lama is a separatist plotting to carve out an independent Tibet from China’s mainland.
By repeating it’s displeasure at the Dalai Lama’s visit almost a week after it ended, the foreign ministry clearly indicated it has not bought what India has been saying about the trip – that it was religious in nature and the Tibetan leader is free to travel and doesn’t plan his itinerary at the behest of the government in New Delhi.
On the face of it, Lu’s comments were in response to a statement on Friday from the ministry of external affairs that there was no change in New Delhi’s position on Tibet.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said last week India will continue to seek a fair and mutually acceptable solution to the dragging boundary dispute with China.
China clearly doesn’t given credence to such statements.
The government, state media and experts perceive a pattern in how India is “using” the issue of Tibet and the Dalai Lama – the invitation to the leader of the Tibetan government in exile to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inauguration in May 2014, the Dalai Lama’s meeting with President Pranab Mukherjee in December and now his visit to Arunachal Pradesh indicates to China that India has hardened its stand on Tibet-related issues.
“What India has done is violated the solemn commitment on Tibet-related issues and it also has negative impact on proper settlement of the territorial disputes between the two sides through negotiations,” was how Lu described the visit last week.
The boundary and Tibet-related issues “bear the political foundation of China-India relationship” and the two countries have reached “important consensus” of resolving the dispute through talks and consultations.
Lu had also said: “We hope that the Indian side bears in mind the fundamental interests of the two countries and safeguards the political foundation of the bilateral relationship...”
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a prosecution complaint against Aamir Gazdar, a close aide of Islamic preacher Dr Zakir Naik under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), officials said on Monday.
According to the probe agency, Gazdar is accused of indulging in money laundering and assisting Dr Naik by providing accommodation entries to “dummy companies” and utilising tainted money through his personal bank accounts and accounts of his family members.
“Out of the various companies established by Dr Zakir Naik, Aamir Gazdar was a director in atleast six companies,” the ED said in a statement. Gazdar was arrested by the agency this year.
“Mr Gazdar had also given an amount of ₹2.35 crore to Harmony Media Pvt. Ltd. There was no agreement entered by him for the said transactions. The registered office of Harmony Media Pvt Ltd is located at the ancestral building owned by his family. The unaccounted money worth around ₹5.15 crore belonging to Dr Naik in cash has been handled by him without leaving any trail of its origin or utilization within a span of 8 months only. No other person is privy to the source and actual use of this substantial unaccounted cash ,” the agency said in a statement.