Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], April 10 (ANI): The Dalai Lama on Monday issued an apology expressing his regret after a purported video of him kissing a boy and asking him to "suck his tongue" triggered a social media uproar.
An official statement released by the office of the Dalai Lama stated that the Tibetan spiritual leader "wishes to apologize to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused."
"A video clip has been circulating that shows a recent meeting when a young boy asked His Holiness the Dalai Lama if he could give him a hug. His Holiness wishes to apologize to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused.
"His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident," the statement said.
The Buddhist spiritual leader's remarks follow after a video clip started circulating on social media that showed him meeting a young boy.
The purported video shows the Dalai Lama kissing the boy on his lips as the latter leaned in to pay his respects.
After a few moments, the Tibetan spiritual leader can be seen pointing to his mouth and sticking his tongue out.
In the purported clip, Dalai Lama can be heard saying, "Can you suck my tongue."
The video has caught the attention of netizens on social media.
Twitter users have expressed their disappointment and outrage over the incident. (ANI)