BJP upset over Centre's Tibet handling

Guwahati, Mar 26 (UNI) The Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) today expressed its dissatisfaction over the way the Centre was handling the Tibet issue.

Addressing a press conference here, BJP national secretary and MP Khiren Rijiju said, '' India has behaved before China as if it is a minnows on the Tibet issue. '' Upset over the Congress-led UPA Government's 'hands off' policy, the Arunachal MP said, '' India has lost a historical chance to assert itself in the geopolitics of Asia as well as world. '' '' But instead the country has distanced itself from the whole issue. Tibet is no longer an internal matter of China. The whole world is involved in it. Besides, tens of thousand Tibetans live in India, '' he said.

Mr Rijiju hailed from the Tawang region, which was once occupied by China during the Chinese war.

Notwithstanding, the BJP national secretary said 48 MPs had formed a bloc to raise the Tibet issue whenever and wherever possible.

The BJP MP said, '' India's advances have hardly been reciprocated by China. Though New Delhi is hyper-sensitive to Beijing's feelings, the Chinese authorities have no such regard to Indian sensitivities. '' '' If they can raise matters of our country, how we cannot raise much more issue where the whole world has got involved? We should have more vocal in supporting the Tibet issue, '' he said.

'' However, the Union Government has chosen the traditional Tibet line. India should not be seen at the mercy of China, '' he added.

UNI MT SJC/src1801