After a video of the Dalai Lama kissing a minor boy raged controversy on social media on Sunday, the spiritual leader issued an apology to the boy and his family.
The Controversial Video
A purported video of the 14th Dalai Lama kissing a minor boy on the lips and allegedly asking him to suck his tongue generated shock and outrage among netizens. Many social media users called the Nobel Peace Prize laureate “creepy”, “repulsive” and “disgusting”.
The minor boy was paying his respect to the Buddhist monk, when he kissed the boy on his lips and stuck his tongue out, asking the minor to suck on it.
Social media users pointed out other people seen in the video and expressed concerns about their troubling behavior, undisturbed by the Dalai Lama’s behavior.
The Apology
On Monday, the leader’s official Twitter handle expressed regrets for the ‘hurt’ induced by his words and addressed the apology to the boy seen in the viral video, his family, and ‘friends all over the world’. The apology statement further says that the 14th Dalai Lama often ‘teases’ people he meets in a ‘playful and innocent’ manner.
