India on Thursday raised a strong objection to China's demand that Beijing must approve the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, asserting that no one except the Tibetan spiritual leader himself has the authority to decide on his successor.

In a statement, Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju said, "The position of the Dalai Lama is of utmost importance, not just for Tibetans but for all his followers across the world. The right to decide on his successor rests solely with the Dalai Lama himself".

Rijiju and Janata Dal (United) leader Lallan Singh are visiting Dharamshala as representatives of the Indian government to attend events marking the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday. "This is purely a religious occasion," Rijiju added.

The Union Minister's remarks came after the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader reaffirmed that the 600-year-old institution of the Dalai Lama would continue beyond his lifetime, and that the choice of the 15th Dalai Lama would rest entirely with the Gaden Phodrang Trust, the official office of the Dalai Lama.

"The process by which a future Dalai Lama is to be recognised has been clearly established in the 24 September 2011 statement, which states that responsibility for doing so will rest exclusively with members of the Gaden Phodrang Trust," the Dalai Lama’s office said in a statement on Wednesday.

China, however, has insisted that any reincarnation must be approved by Beijing. "The Dalai Lama’s succession must comply with Chinese laws and regulations as well as religious rituals and historical conventions," the country's foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, reiterating Beijing's longstanding stance that the selection must happen within China's borders under its supervision.

Source: India Today