New Delhi: Political heavyweights on Sunday kept away from a Buddhist meet which led to diplomatic tensions between India and China and an indefinite postponement of their border talks.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, who were listed among the speakers at the opening of the four-day event, did not turn up although Congress leader and ICCR chairman Dr Karan Singh inaugurated it.
The organisers also invited President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh but they had earlier declined it.
The global Buddhist convention will be addressed by the Dalai Lama on Wednesday and China had strongly objected to his presence.
However, a representative of Dalai Lama in New Delhi, made it clear that the congregation was a "purely religious" event with no political overtones.
"This is a purely religious conference. It should not be used by any nation or individual for a political purpose.
There is no motivation (for the Dalai Lama) except meeting religious leaders and representatives," the representative, Tempa Tshering, said when asked about the controversy.
He confirmed that the Dalai Lama will continue his programme as scheduled at the conference. He will lead an all faith prayer meet at Gandhi Smriti and attend a gathering of eminent Buddhist leaders on Wednesday.
India's refusal to accede to Beijing's demand to call off the Buddhist meet, had led to a last-minute indefinite postponement of the crucial Sino-India border talks which were to be held on Monday.
While China treats the Tibetan spiritual leader as persona non grata, New Delhi has maintained that he is respectable religious leader and in a democratic country there is no restriction on freedom of speech.
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