The Indian government on Thursday (February 13) expanded the security cover of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, citing increased threat perception.

According to media reports, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) of India will now take over the Dalai Lama’s security from the Himachal Pradesh state police.

The CRPF will now protect the Tibetan leader round-the-clock under Z-category protocol, including at his residence in Dharamshala as well as during his visit to other states and cities.

The Dalai Lama’s security was earlier ramped up in 2020 after a Chinese spy was arrested in India. The spy, identified as Charlie Peng, was reportedly tasked with gathering information on the spiritual leader, his aides and had also bribed some individuals for the same.

It is to be noted that the CRPF currently provides security cover to top politicians in India, including the home minister Amit Shah, the chief of the ruling BJP party, key opposition leaders as well as top business leaders. The security is provided under several protocols defined as categories Z+, Z, Y, Y+ and X.

While the Indian authorities haven’t said a word on recent threat perception to the Dalai Lama, the move to expand his security cover comes amid increasing pressure from Beijing over the issue of succession.

Each Dalai Lama is considered to be the reincarnation of the first one and the current Dalai Lama is the 14th in the line. While the Dalai Lama maintains that only he has the authority to identify his successor, Beijing insists that it will decide on the matter.

Earlier this week,
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that China was open to talks about the future of the Dalai Lama as long as he abandons his position of splitting the “motherland”.

China continues to label the Dalai Lama as a separatist leader even as the government-in-exile has long relinquished the demand of a separate homeland.

There are reports that the issue of succession might get some clarity in 2025 as the Dalai Lama has previously said that his successor will be reincarnated around the time of his 90th birthday, which falls in July this year.

(With inputs from agencies)

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India expands security cover of Dalai Lama amid succession push by Beijing