Himachal chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said the Centre did not care to ask the state before “making him settle down in Himachal Pradesh”.
While central agencies, including the enforcement directorate (ED) and the income-tax authorities, have taken over investigations into the alleged illegal collection of foreign currency by the 17th karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, a tug of war has begun between the Centre and the Himachal government over the question of giving asylum to him.
Himachal chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said the Centre did not care to ask the state before “making him settle down in Himachal Pradesh”.
“It is now the Centre’s responsibility if the karmapa is indulging in any anti-national activities, the chief minister said. Whether he is a Chinese spy or not, it is for the Union home ministry to ascertain. The state would not let any illegal activities carry on,” Dhumal said.
He said the US and the Chinese currency recovered from the monastery was in a particular series which clearly indicated that it was not an offering.
A spokesperson of the monastery claimed that for the past eight years they had been informing the Centre about the donations and offerings made by devotees. “But there has been no word from the Centre on the manner the money should be accounted for,” he added.
Meanwhile, an ED team seized records from the state police regarding the foreign cash recovery from the premises of the karmapa.
The income-tax authorities and intelligence agencies joined the Himachal Police in investigation of the karmapa case.
The police also carried out a search at the residence of Gompa Shering, Karmapa’s private secretary. According to sources, the police recovered $4,275 and small amounts in Euro and Canadian dollars.
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