Dalai Lama issues apology after video shows him asking little boy to 'suck my tongue'
manchestereveningnews.co.ukThe Dalai Lama has issued an apology after a viral video showed him asking a young boy to "suck my tongue". The clip of the Tibetan Buddhist leader was recorded during an event in northern India's hillside city of Dharamshala in February.
Many on social media have begun reacting to the strange interaction in which the religious figurehead kisses the child on the lips before making the disturbing request.
A statement from the Dalai Lama's office today 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." The 87-year-old added that he "regrets" his actions, the Mirror reports. Read more: Woman who regrets travelling to Turkey for surgery to get 'Instagram look' wants to warn others The stament also highlighted that "his Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras".
In the video, the young boy approaches the spiritual teacher. He then asks him "Can I hug you", to which the Dalai Lama responds by inviting him on stage.
Read more on manchestereveningnews.co.uk