SP demands statement on Dalai Lama's remarks

NEW DELHI, AUG. 9. The Samajwadi Party today sought a statement from the Home Minister, Mr. L. K. Advani, or the External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, in the Rajya Sabha regarding the statement given by Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, at an inter-faith conference in Chennai on Sunday favouring inclusion of Kashmiri people in Indo-Pakistan talks.

Mr. Janeshwar Mishra of the SP said the Government should convey to the Tibetan leader that such statements on delicate issues complicated matters and that Tibetans had been given refugee status in India and were being given proper treatment.

The Congress member, Mr. K. B. Narayanamurthy, demanded that saint and philanthropist, Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi, be given protection in view of reports of threat to his life from the LTTE. He said that after the recent LTTE attack at the Colombo international airport, threat to Sai Baba's life had increased. The Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr. O. Rajagopal, said he would bring it to the notice of the Home Minister.

Ms. Chandrakala Pandey, (CPI-M), demanded that the Government review its recent directive to universities asking them to scan and seek security clearance for inviting scholars from five countries, including Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan for attending seminars in India. She said this amounted to interference in the affairs of the universities and called for its review. Ms. Sarla Maheshwari of the CPI(M) raised the issue of the hanging of two youths by villagers in Uttar Pradesh and demanded the arrest of culprits.

- UNI

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