Shimla/Dharamsala: The office of Tibetan
spiritual leader Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorji has denied the
deal for purchase of land by the Karmapa-backed Karmae Garchen
Trust was "benami".
"We wish to reiterate that this was in no way a benami
land deal and the land in question was being purchased in the
Trust`s own name, with full knowledge of the Indian
government", Karma Topden and Deki Chungyalpa, official
spokespersons of the Karmapa`s office, said.
They claimed the Trust had received a no-objection
certificate from the Town and Country Planning Department of
the Himachal Pradesh government on December 3, 2010,
indicating the state government?s preliminary approval to
proceed with the plans to purchase the land.
The spokespersons said since his arrival in India in
2000, the Karmapa had been hosted in a temporary residence in
Dharamsala at Gyuto Monastery which belongs to a different
Tibetan Buddhist sect.
The Karmae Garchen Trust was seeking to purchase the land
in its own name for building a permanent residence and
monastery for the Karmapa.
They claimed the Dalai Lama had again publicly reaffirmed
his confidence in the Karmapa and reiterated that the money
seized was unsolicited donations.
The Prime Minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile,
Professor Samdhong Rinpoche, also paid a cordial visit
yesterday to the Karmapa at his temporary residence located on
the grounds of Gyuto Monastery, the spokespersons added.
PTI
