New Delhi: Social media users in China responded with rage after popstar Lady Gaga met exiled Tibetan leader Dalai Lama in United States on Sunday.
The pop star interviewed the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader in a live Facebook video, before he gave the keynote speech at the United States Conference of Mayors in Indiana.
After Lady Gaga posted a photo of the two of them on Instagram, the image was flooded with abusive comments.
Account of some Chinese social media users were reportedly censored after they shared pictures of Lady Gaga’s meeting with Dalai Lama.
There are even reports that China is mulling a ban on Lady Gaga, one of the most popular Western musicians in the Communist country.
Lady Gaga has been added to a list of hostile foreign forces banned by China’s Communist party, The Guardian reported.
In the past, a number of western musicians have had their shows cancelled, purportedly because of their links to the Dalai Lama. Selena Gomez, Bon Jovi and band Maroon 5 are among those who have had their programmes cancelled because of their closeness with Tibetan spiritual guru.
China warned people to be aware of what it said are nefarious motives of the Dalai Lama after his meeting with Lady Gaga where he spoke about love and compassion.
"The purpose of his visits and activities in other countries is just to promote his proposal for Tibetan independence," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Monday.
Beijing regularly vilifies the Tibetans' spiritual leader as a political figure who advocates splitting the Himalayan region of Tibet from the rest of China. The Dalai Lama says he simply wants a higher degree of autonomy under Chinese rule.
On Sunday, before speaking at a conference in Indianapolis of American mayors, he met Lady Gaga.
The official website of the office of the Dalai Lama reported that Lady Gaga interviewed him in an exchange streamed live over Facebook. The singer asked how to help young people with self-esteem issues or who harm themselves and he said "paying more attention to inner values like love and compassion are the right approach."
Asked about the Dalai Lama's meeting with Lady Gaga, Hong said: "We hope that people from the international community can be fully aware of his true colors and nature."
The Dalai Lama also met with President Barack Obama two weeks ago, drawing condemnation from China.
