Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje says ‘applied for Indian visa in October, still awaiting response’ 

Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje.

Tibetan spiritual leader Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, who claims to have applied for the Indian visa last year in October, says he hasn’t heard anything form the authorities until now, whereas the Indian authorities says he is yet to apply on his newly acquired passport of Commonwealth of Dominica.

Addressing a Buddhist annual event – the 36th Kagyu Monlam – through webcast, the karmapa said, “As you all know, I have a new passport. Once I got the new one, my old document, the identity certificate, became invalidated. I went to the Indian embassy in New York (in October 2018) … I went there and told them I needed to turn my old travel document and further requested them to grant me a visa on my new passport [sic].”

In his speech he claimed that he was unable to get a visa from India as the Indian embassy in New York says they were not authorized, and they have to consult offices in Delhi.

The Tibetan spiritual leader, who is believed to be in the United States, further said, “I hope to return to India as quickly as I can. Up till this point, I am having conversations with the Indian government [sic].”

However, media reported Indian officials as saying that it is “upsetting” that Karmapa didn’t shared the information about him acquiring a foreign passport and the issue was flagged by intelligence agencies, which have long suspected him to be a Chinese spy.

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