Dalai Lama apologises for Partition remarks

India and Pakistan would have remained united had Jinnah become prime minister, exiled Tibetan leader said earlier

Exiled Tibetan leader Dalai Lama on Friday apologised for his recent remarks blaming Jawaharlal Nehru for Partition, according to The Times of India.



"My statement has created controversy. if I said something wrong, I apologise," he said.

“Now look at India. I think Mahatma Gandhi was very much willing to give the prime ministership to Jinnah. But Pandit Nehru refused,” the Dalai Lama had said on Wednesday while speaking at a Goa educational institute.

The exiled Tibetan leader went on to add how he thought it was a bit self-centered on part of Jawaharlal Nehru to covet the top post, according to Hindustan Times.

“I think it was a little bit self-centred attitude of Pandit Nehru that he should be the prime minister. India and Pakistan would have remained united had Mahatma Gandhi’s thinking materialised,” he said. “Pandit Nehru, I know very well, (was a) very experienced person, very wise but sometimes mistakes also happen.”



Earlier in May, Uttar Pradesh Minister Swami Prasad Maurya eulogised Jinnah as a “mahapurush” or great man. The minister made the remarks while admonishing a Bharatiya Janata Party MP for criticising Aligarh Muslim University for displaying a photo of Jinnah at the varsity. “It is shameful for anyone to point a finger on great leaders who contributed towards the country’s formation,” he had then said.