Sitaram Yechury, leader of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, refused to condemn the violence in Tibet, described by the Dalai Lama [Images] as 'cultural genocide' by the Chinese government.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Yechury said the clashes were an internal affair of China. "How can we condemn the incidents in Tibet, which is an internal part of China?" he asked.

Yechury asked how the nation would react if any other nation were to raise the issue of what is happening in Kashmir. "I do not like. Hence I would not go beyond saying that Tibet is an internal part of China," he said.

Reacting to CPI-M's statement, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, deputy leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, said, "What more can you expect from the Left parties? In 1962, when China attacked India, the then CPI did not condemn the Chinese aggression".

"The whole nation was shaken and there was deep resentment against the CPI. We would like the government of India to adopt strict policy and join hands with other nations and raise the matter at an international forum," Malhotra said.