Shillong, April 10: After a video emerged showing the Buddhist spiritual leader kissing a child on the lips and then asking him to ‘suck his tongue’ at an event, The Dalai Lama on Monday has apologised to the boy and his family.
A statement from the office of the Dalai Lama said, “He 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,” adding he “regrets” the incident.
“His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras,” the statement said.
The video has created controversy and outcry from the public at large after the video went viral on social media with many users criticizing the Dalai Lama’s actions.
In the viral video, a young boy can be seen approaching the Nobel Peace Prize winner before asking, “Can I hug you?” However, the 87-year-old spiritual leader invites the boy on stage and points to his cheek and says, “first here,” prompting the boy to give him a hug and a kiss.
The Dalai Lama then points to his lips, and says: “then I think finally here also.” He then pulls the boy’s chin and kisses him on the mouth. “And suck my tongue,” he says after a few seconds, poking his tongue out.
The identity of the boy is unknown, but he was an attendee of an event with the M3M Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Indian real estate company M3M Group, based in Dharamshala, where the Dalai Lama lives in permanent exile.
