Dalai Lama Apologizes for Kissing a Minor Boy

New Delhi: Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Monday apologized for kissing a minor boy on his lips and then asking him to ‘suck his tongue’. A video showing this act of his had sparked a row. The video evoked a furious response from the netizens on social media.

The video showed the Dalai Lama kissing the child on his lips as the latter leaned in to pay his respects. After a few seconds, the Dalai Lama was seen pointing to his mouth and sticking his tongue out. “Can you suck my tongue?”

A tweet from Dalai Lama’s official Twitter handle on Monday said, “A video 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.”

The tweet further added, “His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident.”

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— Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama) April 10, 2023