China using Dalai Lama as excuse to warn India of worsening ties, says NCP

Mumbai [India], Oct. 29 (ANI): Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Majeed Memon has directly said that China's objection to the Dalai Lama visiting Arunachal Pradesh in January next year is an excuse for it to warn New Delhi that bilateral ties will take a turn for the worse. "The relationship between India and China are slightly on the worsening side, and now, China wants an excuse, saying that if the Dalai Lama visits Arunachal Pradesh, then it would adversely affect relations between the two nations. However, I don't think this visit has anything to do with the India-China relationship," he said. He asked, "The Dalai Lama is a celebrity and an important personality who wants to visit Arunachal, then, why should China have any objections to that?" Memon told ANI that India has sent an implied threat to China that it would boycott products from that country. Beijing on Friday expressed its displeasure over India inviting the Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh next year, part of which China claims as its territory, and warned that his visit could result in a further straining of ties with New Delhi. The Dalai Lama is scheduled to visit to Arunachal Pradesh on the invitation of the Chief Minister Pema Khandu. China considers the Dalai Lama a "splittist" who seeks to separate nearly a quarter of the land mass of the People's Republic of China.(ANI)