Tharoor: Dalai visit is his own
Nov. 9: Rejecting the claim that the Government of India suggested spiritual leader Dalai Lama to visit Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor on Monday said, India’s policy does not deal with the "spiritual travel" of "spiritual leaders".
Speaking to reporters here Mr Tharoor said, "This suggestion has not come from us, because we do not deal with the spiritual travels of a spiritual leader. He has to visit his flock as he deems fit. So I am sure that as far as I am aware the initiative would have come from him and the government would have been informed about it."
Replying to a poser, whether India had suggested the spiritual leader to visit the northeastern state, the minister emphatically said, "No".
Maintaining that the Lama is free to travel anywhere in India, Mr Tharoor said, "It is just a matter of courtesy for the spiritual leader to inform his coordinates to the government before he goes somewhere in the country,"
Refusing to be dragged into the issue of "Maoists getting weapon" from China, as remarked by Union home secretary on Sunday and was reported widely in media, Mr Tharoor said, "The matter is currently dealt with the home ministry. Let them handle it."
On the issue of business visas to Chinese, the minister said the Indian policy was against such visas for unskilled or semi-skilled workers and that they should apply for employment visas instead.
"This is our national policy. Every country has a visa policy. If there is a good reason for these people to come and do certain kind of work, then we should cater them with employment visas. It is not correct to say that business visas are much faster," Mr Tharoor said.
‘PM could win from anywhere’
Nov 9: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh could have won the Lok Sabha elections this year. This is what one of his ministerial colleagues Shashi Tharoor thinks.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum-India Summit here, Mr Tharoor, minister of state for external affairs, said, had Dr Singh been chosen to contest, he would have won from anywhere in the country.
AGE CORRESPONDENT
New Delhi
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