Gangtok:
The Karmapa Reception Committee and Joint Action Committee, a representation of 18 Buddhist organizations of Sikkim, today jointly welcomed the clean chit given to the XVIIth Karmapa Ogyen Trinley by the Centre.
During a press conference in Gangtok, general secretary of the Karmapa Reception Committee K T Bhutia expressed their gratitude to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Home Minister P Chidambaram and Home Secretary G K Pillai "for laying to rest all allegations levelled against the Karmapa".
Appealing to the Central government to allow the Karmapa to visit Sikkim and take his "rightful place" at Rumtek, JAC president Kunzang Sherpa commended the Home Secretary's 'understanding of the very innocent' nature of the financial oversight of the Karmapas managers 'born out of ignorance'.
They speakers said a delegation of the organizations would also soon call on Chief Minister Pawan Chamling to pursue with the central government about the Karmapa's visit to Sikkim.
The Centre, on February 16, is understood to have given a clean chit to the Karmapa in the case relating to the huge foreign currency haul from his house saying the money had come in the form of donations and offerings by devotees.
This was the conclusion arrived by the Central government after its agencies probed the case following the recovery of foreign currency to the tune of Rs 7.5 crore from the Gyuto Monastery, the transit home of the Karmapa, in Himachal Pradesh.