The Dalai Lama has apologised after outrage over a video of him kissing a child on the lips and asking him to “suck his tongue”.
“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 apologise 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 read.
A video of the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, seen kissing a child on the lips and subsequently requesting the child to “suck his tongue” has sparked an outcry.
In a widely circulated video, the Dalai Lama is shown kissing the lips of a boy who approached him to pay his respects. During the encounter, the Buddhist monk extends his tongue and requests the boy to ‘suck it’. The Dalai Lama can be heard asking, “Can you suck my tongue?” in the viral footage.
Twitter users slammed the incident, terming it ‘creepy’, ‘disgusting’ and ‘repulsive’ behaviour.
A user pointed out that there might be some explanation in Tibetan culture. “Maybe theres a religious rationale here but why would he do that?”
