New Delhi: Dalai Lama has issued an apology after a recent video of him asking a young boy to “suck his tongue” has gone viral.

According to a statement from the office for Dalai Lama, 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.

In the video, a young boy can be seen approaching Dalai Lama asking, “Can I hug you? “He then invites the boy on stage and points to his cheek and says, “first here,” suggesting the boy to give him a hug and a kiss. Dalai Lama then points to his lips and says, “then I think finally here also.” He then kisses the boy on the mouth. “And suck my tongue,” he says after a few seconds, poking his tongue out.

Childrens’ Rights activists are deeming the actions of Dalai Lama to be extremely inappropriate and are demonstrative of abuse.

Others have chosen to side with Dalai Lama stating that he is just a “playful” guy. This incident is not the first instance of the 14th Dalai Lama making inappropriate comments in recent years. He publicly apologized after a 2019 interview in which he said if a female Dalai Lama should succeed him, she “should be more attractive.”

In 2018, he suggested Europe should be kept for Europeans, when speaking about the rising level of African refugees entering the continent.

“The whole Europe (will) eventually become Muslim country? Impossible. Or African country? Also impossible,” he said, adding that it’s better to “keep Europe for Europeans.”