The SNP have been urged to ensure a ”senior” representative welcomes the Dalai Lama to Dundee to avoid any impression they have been ”nobbled” by the Chinese.
The call came as The Courier learned the SNP-run city council asked for its logo to be removed from a brochure due to be presented to the Tibetan spiritual leader to mark the visit.
The withdrawal of the branding from the Dundee University publication came following a meeting between senior council officials and the Chinese Consul-General.
Opposition politicians have alleged the SNP have bowed to pressure from Beijing over the issue. They are demanding someone from the party officially welcomes the Dalai Lama to the city on Friday.
Lord Provost Bob Duncan is unable to make a planned speech at the event in the Caird Hall due to a clash with the funeral of a close family friend.
He says he still hopes to meet the Buddhist monk afterwards and denied there has been a deliberate snub towards the Tibetan Buddhist leader.
”We have a message in the programme giving him every support,” he said. ”As long as my wife Brenda is OK on Friday I am going to meet the Dalai Lama with the provosts from other towns. He will sign our visitors’ book and I will escort him into the hall.
”I am quite willing to be photographed with him. He is a very willing visitor to the city and we are honoured to have him coming.
”We are not snubbing the man, we are welcoming him. I am a churchgoer and I respect church leaders in every guise they come in.”
But the decision not to have the depute lord provost, Christina Roberts, give the speech has provoked criticism, as it means no representative of Dundee City Council will officially be involved in the proceedings. Dundee University rector Brian Cox has instead been drafted in to make the speech.
Labour’s Dundee-based MSP Jenny Marra, said: ”It is unfortunate that the lord provost cannot make the speech to welcome the Dalai Lama because of a bereavement. The SNP should get their most senior Dundee politician, like government minister Shona Robison, to step in and make the welcoming speech in the Caird Hall.
”This would be an appropriate welcome to the Dalai Lama in the absence of the lord provost. The SNP council and Government must make it clear to the Dalai Lama that he is welcome in Dundee and Scotland. It is their civic and political duty to do so.”
But Dundee City West MSP Joe FitzPatrick, who will attend the talk, accused the other parties of playing politics with the issue.
”The Dalai Lama chose Dundee’s fantastic Caird Hall as one of the venues to give a lecture and I was delighted to be able to accept Dundee University’s invitation to attend along with several senior SNP politicians,” he said. ”It is deeply disappointing that some parties have chosen to play party politics with what is a pastoral visit.”
Dundee’s longest-serving councillor, and former deputy lord provost, Ian Borthwick, said he found the whole situation ”extremely sad”.
”While I appreciate there may be difficulties for the lord provost to deliver the speech I’m sure his depute could discharge that duty,” he said. ”Clearly the Dalai Lama demands respect throughout this country and others and I think it’s a very bad reflection on the city and all efforts should be made to redress that.”
A Dundee City Council spokesman said: ”The consul-general of China visited Dundee recently as part of a long-running programme of courtesy visits he makes to cities in Scotland. The city council welcomes and values this ongoing dialogue.
”Contrary to reports, the council would like to make it clear that it has not withdrawn any invitation to the Dalai Lama to speak in the city. The event, which is part of the University of Dundee’s graduation week, is going ahead as planned.
”The lord provost will be going to the Caird Hall on Friday directly from the funeral he is attending. He will be looking to speak to the Dalai Lama during his time in the city.”Other cities extend a warm welcomeThere may be no civic welcome for the Dalai Lama in Dundee but other cities on his Scottish tour will be rolling out the red carpet when he visits.
His Holiness will also visit Edinburgh and Inverness during his two-day tour of Scotland, delivering public talks in all three cities.
In Edinburgh, where the council is controlled by a Labour and SNP coalition, he will visit the National Library of Scotland for a private viewing of material relating to Tibet.
He will then deliver a public talk at the Usher Hall.
He will be welcomed by Edinburgh Lord Provost George Grubb, who will also attend the Dalai Lama’s talk.
On Saturday, the Dalai Lama will travel to Inverness for a trip supported by Highland Council, which is run by an SNP-led coalition.
A spokesman said: ”The council is supporting the visit and the leader Drew Hendry and convener Jimmy Gray will greet him on his arrival at Eden Court Theatre, Inverness at lunch time on Saturday.”
Photo by Gareth Cattermole/PA Wire