The Merchants Association of Leh has called for a strike and requested all shops to remain shut on Monday in support of the strike, as two Tibetian monastires- Thiksey and Diskit have demanded former Indian diplomat, Phunchok Stobdan to apologise for his recent comments regarding the Dalai Lama.
Stobdan, who was a panelist on Aaj Tak, a Hindi news channel, questioned the Dalai Lama's silence over China's recent attempts to cross the Line of Actual Control (LAC). He said that the Dalai Lama has to speak up as China eats away land in Ladakh. "We have let him create a government in Dharmashala. He should offer a clarification that this is not Tibet's land; it is India's." he said.
He further added, "Is he (Dalai Lama) doing it in collaboration with China? What is it? There is some confusion in the strategy."
These comments have been deemed as 'highly objectionable' by Thiksey and Diskit monasteries and they have demanded an 'unconditional apology' from Stobdan.
In a press release, the monasteries said that "His Holiness is not only an epitome of peace and ambassador of humanity, but also the most respected spiritual leader of hundreds of thousands of Buddhists around the world."
The press release stated that the monasteries condemn the usage of blasphemous language hurting the sentiments of Buddhists all over the world and called for a strike in Leh on Monday.
