"Government of India’s position on His Holiness the Dalai Lama is clear and consistent. He is a revered religious leader and is deeply respected by the people of India.  There is no change in that position. His Holiness is accorded all freedom to carry out his religious activities in India" a statement by India's Ministry of External Affairs said.

After his escape from China in 1959, following the brutal suppression of the Tibetan national uprising in Lhasa by Chinese troops, Dalai Lama has been living in Dharamsala in India's Himachal Pradesh state when he was granted an asylum by India.

The statement followed after Indian Express newspaper reported that "in an unusual departure from its stand on the Tibetans-in-exile, the government, underlining that this is a 'very sensitive time' for bilateral relations with China, has sent out a note asking 'senior leaders' and 'government functionaries' of the Centre and states to stay away from events planned for March-end and early April by the 'Tibetan leadership in India' to mark the start of 60 years in exile of the Dalai Lama."

The issue of Dalai Lama has been a constant source of discomfort between India and China which also fought a war in 1962 over disputed border territories.

Dalai Lama's visit to northeast India had irked China last year. He visited Arunachal Pradesh in 2017.

China holds that Dalai Lama has Indian political backing during his visit to Arunachal Pradesh, the Northeastern Indian state on which China makes territorial claims. China has also objected to Dalai Lama's visit to Tawang in particular.