NEW DELHI: The Dalai Lama was at the centre of a controversy on Twitter after saying if a woman were to succeed him, she “should be more attractive.”

“If female Dalai Lama comes, then she should be more attractive. (Otherwise) people I think prefer not (to) see her, that face,” he told journalist Rajini Vaidyanathan of the BBC.

He also suggested that Europe should be kept for Europeans while suggesting that Europe “should give them (refugees) education and training and then aiming is return to their own lands (sic)”.

When Vaidyanathan asked if refugees who wanted to stay back should be allowed to, he said, “Limited number okay. The whole Europe (will) eventually become Muslim country? Impossible. Or African country? Also impossible.”

The comments by the Nobel Peace Prize winner created an uproar on Twitter, with many users questioning the “irony” in his statement since he is a refugee himself.

Twitter user Sayantan Ghosh, who goes by the handle @sayantansunnyg, wrote, “Irony is knocking on Dalai Lama's door right now and seeking asylum.”

Anu Sandhu Bhamra @SandhuBhamra wrote, “WOW. Just wow. Taking objectification of women to the Buddhist spiritual realm.”

