India backs Dalai Lama on succession, snubs China’s interference

Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday stated that only the Dalai Lama and the established religious institution have the authority to decide on his reincarnation, rejecting Chinas claim to influence the process. His remarks followed the Dalai Lamas own assertion that the Gaden Phodrang Trust alone will oversee the recognition of his successor.