Dalai Lama apologises for saying Nehru had a "self-centered attitude"

New Delhi, Aug 10: After drawing flak for saying that Jawaharlal Nehru had a "self-centered attitude", Tibetan Spiritual leader The Dalai Lama has apologised.

"My statement has created controversy, if I said something wrong I apologise," The Dalai Lama said.

The fourteenth Dalai Lama had in Goa on Wednesday said India would have remained a united country if Jinnah had become the first prime minister. He said Jawaharlal Nehru had a "self-centered attitude" to become India's first prime minister even though Mahatma Gandhi was in favour of Muhammad Ali Jinnah taking the top post at that time.

"Mistakes always happen. Now, look at India. I think Mahatma Gandhi ji was very much willing to give prime ministership to Jinnah. But Pandit Nehru refused. I think Pandit Nehru's was a little bit self-centred," he had said.

"Pandit Nehru, I know very well, was a very experienced person, very wise, but sometimes mistakes happen"

The 83-year-old monk was addressing an event at the Goa Institute of Management in Goa's Sankhalim town, located about 40 km from Panaji.