By IANS,
Dharamsala : The Himachal Pradesh government has allowed Tibetan prime minister-in-exile Lobsang Sangay to use a red beacon atop his official car, an official said here Monday.
“Lobsang Sangay has been granted the permission on request from the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA),” a senior police officer told IANS.
State government sources said the decision was taken as a goodwill gesture towards the Tibetan government-in-exile.
“Since he is a democratically elected leader and His Holiness Dalai Lama is a respected and honourable guest, it’s our responsibility to give them respect and security,” said an official statement quoting Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh as saying.
However, CTA officials said Sangay, who took over political duties from the Dalai Lama in 2011, has not started using the red beacon on his vehicle.
Officials in the Dalai Lama’s office said the Tibetan spiritual leader has also been granted permission to use a red beacon owing to his protocol status but he has never used it.
More than 50 years ago, the Dalai Lama fled to India from Tibet and established his government-in-exile in Dharamsala.
Over 27,000 Tibetan exiles are staying in the state, mainly in and around Dharamsala, say state government officials.