The Dalai Lama has apologized after a video surfaced of a spiritual leader kissing a child on the lips and then asking him to “suck his tongue” at an event in northern India.

In a statement Monday, the Dalai Lama’s office said it wanted to apologize to the boy and his family, as well as to his many friends around the world, for the pain his words may have caused.”

“His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful manner, even in public and in front of cameras,” the statement said.

But you didn’t just hug the boy, you asked him to “suck his tongue.”

Why skip this moment? 🤔pic.twitter.com/Nz2aSYxAZD

— Samira (@SameeraKhan) April 10, 2023

In the video, the boy can be seen walking up to the Nobel Peace Prize winner and asking, “Can I hug you?” The 87-year-old Dalai Lama called the boy to him. In the video, she can be seen pointing to his cheek and telling him “here first”. The boy then kisses and hugs him. However, the Dalai Lama continued to hold him, saying, “I am also thinking here,” and kissing him on the lips. In the continuation of the audiovisual material, he can be heard adding “and licks my tongue” while pressing his forehead against the forehead of a small student. The boy then quickly sticks his tongue out and walks away as the Dalai Lama laughs and pulls the boy towards him for another hug as the audience laughs.

The identity of the boy is not known. He was at an event with the M3M Foundation, the charity arm of Indian real estate company M3M Group, based in Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama lives in permanent exile.

Commenting on the incident, prominent Delhi-based child rights group Haq: Center for Child Rights told CNN that it condemns “any form of child abuse.”

Some expressed their outrage at the display of this image of the Dalai Lama asking a child to suck his tongue. They were quick to condemn the Dalai Lama’s act, calling the incident “creepy”, “disgusting” and “disgusting”.

However, there are supporters of the Dalai Lama who say that in Tibetan culture, sticking out the tongue is a sign of respect or agreement and was often used as a greeting.

The Dalai Lama, after the occupation of Tibet by China, established his headquarters in exile in Dharamsala, northern India, in 1959.

In the 1960s, thousands of Tibetans settled in Bylakup, where today there are 18,000 of them, 9,000 of whom are monks and nuns. This community has two monasteries, churches, schools and hospitals. In total, there are 120,000 Tibetan refugees officially in India, 40,000 of whom are settled in the state of Karnataka.

According to CNN